Waterloo Bridge in the Fog 1901

Claude Monet’s “Waterloo Bridge in the Fog” is a painting made with oil on canvas, and it’s all about how marks can create an atmosphere. Look at how the blues and violets seem to blend together, like a hazy dream. Monet was really into capturing light and how it changes things, and you can see that here in the way the bridge almost disappears into the fog. The paint isn’t super thick, but you can still see each brushstroke, which gives the whole painting a kind of shimmery, watery feel. Notice the way the arches of the bridge are echoed in the reflections below, it's like the bridge is breathing into the water. Monet did a whole series of these London scenes, each one a little different depending on the light. Think about Turner, too, another painter obsessed with light and atmosphere. Monet’s work reminds us that art isn’t about perfect representation, it’s about feeling and seeing in a new way.