The artwork “Houses in the Snow, Norway” by Claude Monet was created in 1895 and is a prime example of the Impressionism movement. As a landscape genre piece, it embodies the movement’s focus on capturing the ephemeral effects of light and color in the natural world.
The artwork presents a serene, snow-covered landscape set against a soft, diffuse sky. Claude Monet’s skill in depicting the transient qualities of light is evident in the pastel hues that dance across the canvas, suggesting the fading light of dusk or the soft glow of dawn. The foreground is dominated by a sweeping expanse of undulating snow, rendered in gentle shades of white and pale pink that hint at the chill of winter and the warmth of the sky’s reflection. Two houses, their forms simplified and almost melting into the surrounding snow, anchor the composition and give scale to the vastness of the natural surroundings. Monet’s loose, expressive brush strokes capture the texture of the wooden buildings and the soft, fluffy quality of the snow, while the subdued palette conveys the quiet and solace of a rural winter scene. This work is a testament to Monet’s mastery of light and his ability to communicate the atmospheric conditions of a moment frozen in time.
