116. The Saint-Lazare Station. Claude Monet. 1877 CE Oil on canvas.

• Form
  • Effects of steam, light, and color; not really about the machines or travelers
  • Subtle gradations of light on the surface
  • Forms dissolve and dematerialize; color overwhelms the forms
  • Figures are painted in a sketchy way with brief brushstrokes
• Content
  • The painting depicts the interior of a train station in Paris; a modern marvel of engineering
  • Trains were propelled by steam; accenting on the energy of the steam rather than the train that produces it
• History
  • Exhibited at the Impressionist Exhibition of 1877
• Context
  • One of a series depicting this train station
  • Monet is famous for painting a series of paintings on the same subject at different times of the day and days of the year
  • Originally meant to be hung together for effect: Haystacks were his first group to hang this way
  • Shows modern life in Paris with great industrial iron output
  • New view of modern city that reflects Haussmannś redesign of Paris