Snow in Argenteuil

A village rests under a blanket of snow, its trees and rooftops coated in frost while small figures move along a frozen path, all painted in soft whites, pale blues, and muted earth tones. This oil painting, titled Snow in Argenteuil, was created in 1875 by Claude Monet and is held today at the National Museum of Western Art, having come from the Matsukata Collection. Monet, who lived from 1840 to 1926 and worked in France, is associated with Impressionism and also painted Haystacks. Looking closely, the chill of the scene comes through in the pale layering of color across the frozen ground and bare branches, giving the whole village a hushed, wintry stillness.