The artwork titled “Houses of Parliament, Effect of Sunlight in the Fog” is a cityscape painting by the French Impressionist artist Claude Monet created in 1904. It belongs to the “Houses of Parliament” series, which captures the British seat of government under various lighting conditions. The painting embodies the principles of Impressionism, a movement characterized by a focus on light and its changing qualities, the passage of time, and the inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience.
The artwork depicts the Houses of Parliament in London shrouded in fog, a common atmospheric condition in the city during that era, which often intrigued artists and writers with its ethereal quality. Monet plays with a limited palette dominated by muted and blended colors, reflecting the fog’s impact on visibility and the way it diffuses light. The sun, depicted as a vibrant orb of orange and yellow, attempts to penetrate the dense fog, casting a sparkling reflection upon the waters of the River Thames below, which is rendered with quick, dappled brushstrokes. The outline of the parliament buildings is softly defined, giving a sense of their grandeur while also emphasizing the ephemeral nature of the scene. Monet’s loose, expressive brushwork allows the viewer to appreciate the interplay of light and color, forming a depiction that is as much about the atmosphere and mood as it is about the actual architecture of the scene.
