Gardener's House at Antibes

In 1888, Claude Monet spent four months in Antibes, a city in southeastern France on the Mediterranean coast, to derive inspiration for painting. Although his visit was occasionally challenged by strong winds that threatened to knock over his easel, the artist was able to complete nearly 40 works. This especially vibrant canvas is a depiction of a gardener’s house set against the sea and the distant Alps. Monet portrays intense midday light through thickly applied paint in bright colors that evoke the region’s sun-drenched climate. Small daubs of green on the slender trees framing the house suggest the onset of spring.