Apple Trees in Bloom 1873

Claude Monet’s "Apple Trees in Bloom" is a landscape painting that captures a fleeting moment in nature. The composition is structured by horizontal bands of colour and form. Notice how the land rises gently from the foreground, where the apple trees stand, to the horizon line. The sky, painted in soft blues, occupies the upper portion of the canvas. The structure offers a sense of depth and openness. Monet's brushstrokes are loose and visible, creating a sense of movement and capturing the transient effects of light and atmosphere. The flowers are rendered as dabs of paint, rather than detailed botanical studies. Monet emphasizes the sensory experience of being in nature over realistic representation. The painting destabilizes the traditional hierarchy between subject and background. The formal qualities invite us to reflect on the changing nature of perception and representation in modern art.