Regatta at Argenteuil

White sails glide across calm water in this scene that Claude Monet painted in 1872, capturing a sailing regatta at Argenteuil, a town along the Seine just outside Paris. Monet lived in Argenteuil during the 1870s, and the river became one of his favorite subjects. The town was a popular spot for boating and weekend leisure, and you can almost feel the gentle, lazy pace of the day here. Notice how the buildings, trees, and sails melt into the water as colorful reflections, painted with loose, quick brushstrokes.

This painting is a fine example of Impressionism, the movement Monet helped create. Rather than fussing over fine detail, he focused on light, color, and the feeling of a passing moment. The reflections in the lower half are not exact copies of what sits above them, but rather playful dabs of paint that suggest the shimmer of moving water. It is a simple scene, but that was rather the point. Monet and his fellow Impressionists wanted to show everyday life and ordinary pleasures, painted exactly as the eye might catch them in a fleeting glance.