The Sailing Boat, Evening Effect, 1885

By Claude Monet

Oil on canvas

54x 65 cm

Etretat was to Monet's first half of his life what Giverny was to his second half: his territory. By showcasing it in his painting, Monet made Etretat completely his own. In fact, it is difficult for us to mention the seaside town in La Manche without Monet's name in mind. Monet praised its beautiful beach with his paintings. Even if he had settled in Giverny, he would have found it difficult to stop himself returning to Etretat. In 1885, he painted from the end of September to mid-December, producing a staggering number of works.

Among all the images of cliffs and sailboats painted by Monet, this " The Sailing Boat, Evening eEffect" has always been a mystery. Although Monet also painted some other paintings of fishing boats, this work is unique among them. The first differentiating aspect is his composition, the solitary sailboat is in a seascape composed purely of oil paint. The indistinguishable horizon emphasizes the natural interpenetration between the elements. The second is the incredible contrast between the dark Prussian blue, the boat and the sails in the background of the sea and sky. By simplifying the outline of drawing, the power of the symbols is concentrated on the most important part, as if to commemorate the sacred object of Impressionism; the work "Impression, Sunrise" is also named after it. In the end, the sailing ship seems to lose its way in the vast ocean, revealing an extreme sense of loneliness. For the above reasons, Monet's ambition should be to go beyond the mere realm of painting and towards landscape.

When Monet took Alice and the children to live in Giverny in 1885, the arrangement was still only temporary for everyone, and their situation was still unstable, plus Monet’s business was not prosperous at all. The Impressionists were only "11 years old" at that time and had not yet been recognized, and the daily finances of the painters were very tight. Monet's life sometimes peaked and sometimes ebbed, was sometimes doubtful and sometimes certain, sometimes full of confidence and sometimes anxious. Furthermore in 1885 the impressionist collective adventure that had once made him and his fellow impressionists the focus of the news, had long since ended. This work titled "The Sailing Boat, Evening Effect" seems to be a metaphor for the artist's living conditions. Although he was ready to sail alone, he still had to worry about the future.