Floes at Bennecourt

A sense of stillness fills Floes at Bennecourt, where Claude Monet looks closely at a quiet stretch of the Seine in winter. Sheets of drifting ice scatter across the water, breaking the surface into soft fragments of color and reflection. Bare trees rise in the distance, blurred by cold air and muted light, giving the scene a hushed, almost suspended feeling.

Painted in the late 1890s near Monet’s home, this work shows his fascination with subtle change rather than dramatic events. The subject is ordinary and fleeting, ice that will soon melt or move on, yet Monet treats it with deep attention. His loose brushwork and pale tones capture the chill of the season and the gentle movement of water, reminding us that even the quietest moments in nature are full of life and motion.