Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect 1903

Monet made this painting of Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect, in 1903 using oil on canvas. His broken brushwork here is all about how light dances and flickers. He really allows for a sense of constant change and movement. The textures are amazing, right? The canvas feels alive with all those little dabs of paint. He's not trying to hide his process; in fact, he's celebrating it. Look at the lower part of the bridge’s leftmost arch and notice how the blue paint is applied in short, choppy strokes, building up a sense of depth and movement in the water. Monet's series of paintings of the Houses of Parliament also in London from the same period share this fascination with light and atmosphere, but perhaps even more so, Whistler’s approach to rendering atmosphere in his Nocturne paintings feels very closely aligned to Monet’s. It’s just lovely to think about how artists keep looking and learning from each other in the grand, never-ending conversation that is art.