Claude Monet’s “Haystacks, midday” is an exemplary piece of the Impressionist movement, created in 1890 in Giverny, France. This artwork, painted with oil on canvas, measures 66 by 101 centimeters and belongs to the renowned Haystacks series by Monet. It is a landscape genre painting showcasing Monet’s interest in the effects of light and atmosphere. Presently, it resides in the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), located in Canberra, Australia.
The artwork features the characteristic soft brushstrokes and a rich palette that captures the essence of the Impressionist style. The composition is centered around two prominent haystacks bathed in the light of the midday sun. These haystacks, while ostensibly the subjects of the painting, also serve to illustrate the changes in color and light that Monet observed in his environment. The background is a harmonious blend of trees and sky with the gentle hues seamlessly transitioning across the canvas. The landscape is alive with an array of colors hinting at the variety of flora and the warmth of the season.
Monet’s sophisticated treatment of light creates a vivid atmosphere that almost makes the scene tangible to the viewer. Through his masterful application of color, Monet not only portrays the physical structure of the haystacks but also the transient nature of light and its ephemeral effects on the environment. The brushwork is loose, enabling the colors to shimmer and merge in the eye of the beholder, which is a hallmark of the Impressionist art movement. This piece exemplifies the pursuit of capturing the fleeting moments of natural light, which Monet and his peers sought to capture through their plein air painting practice.