The artwork “Saint-Lazare Gare, Normandy Train” by Claude Monet created in 1887, is an exemplar piece of the Impressionism movement. As part of the “Saint-Lazare Station” series, it falls within the cityscape genre, presenting a scene from the famed Parisian railway station.
The artwork portrays an active train station scene. Monet captures the hazy atmosphere of Saint-Lazare Station with masterful brushwork that conveys the scrambling activity and the industrial age’s energy. The use of light and color embodies the essence of Impressionist techniques, which sought to represent scenes with an emphasis on the transient effects of light and movement rather than the accuracy of details.
Foregrounded in the artwork is a prominent locomotive. The train seems to be at rest, with steam billowing from its engine, a testament to the technological advancements of the era. Around the train, the station bustles with passengers and station personnel, providing a sense of daily motion and life. The architecture of the station, with its large arching windows, is suggested through quick, expressive strokes, allowing the grandeur of the industrial architecture to be felt without meticulous representation. The background is suffused with light, enhancing the airy feel of the station and evoking the transient moment in time captured by Monet’s expert application of color and texture.
