Houses by the Bank of the River Zaan

Immediately after the Franco-Prussian War, during which Claude Monet had sought exile in London, the artist traveled to the Netherlands. He and his family sojourned in a small town near Amsterdam called Zaandam, which was popular with tourists. “One would be busy for an entire painter’s life,” he wrote to his friend Camille Pissarro. While Paris lay in ruins, Monet depicted happy scenery. The soft light of a summer’s day is shimmering on the picturesque houses, which are reflected in the water on the bank of the Zaan River. The artist captures the carefree atmosphere of this idyllic location with Impressionist brushstrokes.

We present today's work thanks to the Städel Museum. 

If you love Claude Monet and the French Impressionists and would like to learn more about them, please check our Mega Impressionism Course; after completing it, you will be an expert!

P.S. Did you know that Monet also traveled to Venice? Check out the wonderful impressions of La Serenissima by one of the greatest Impressionists of all time!