Regatta at Sainte-Adresse

Along a stretch of shoreline, sailboats drift across pale blue-green water while onlookers gather on the sand to watch, a church rising nearby and clouds scattered through the sky above. The scene shows Sainte-Adresse, with boats, beach, and a church building all visible in the composition. This oil painting, titled Regatta at Sainte-Adresse, was created in 1867 by Claude Monet and is held today at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Monet, who lived from 1840 to 1926, was a French painter associated with Impressionism, and his later Haystacks series remains among his recognized achievements. One detail worth noticing is how the water's turquoise surface catches light differently near the boats than along the open stretches, giving the marine scene a shifting, airy quality typical of the coastal setting.