Waterloo Bridge, London, at Sunset

is a painting by Claude Monet, created in 1904, which is part of his larger series of works depicting Waterloo Bridge in London.

Key Details

- Medium and Dimensions: The painting is an oil on canvas, measuring 25 13/16 × 36 1/2 inches (65.6 × 92.7 cm)[4][5].- Location: The painting is housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.[1][4][5].- Provenance: It was purchased from Monet by the art dealers Durand-Ruel and Bernheim-Jeune in Paris. It later passed through several owners, including Sam Salz, Inc., before being acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon in 1960. The Mellons gifted the painting to the National Gallery of Art in 1983[1].

Artistic Context

- Monet painted this work during his periodic visits to London between 1899 and 1905. He stayed at the Savoy Hotel, which offered a vantage point to capture the bridge and the city's atmospheric effects[2].- The painting is characterized by its impressionist style, with loose brushstrokes and vivid colors. The sky is depicted in light aquamarine blue, while the bridge's arches are painted in cotton candy pink and pale apricot hues[1].

Exhibition History

- The painting has been exhibited in several notable exhibitions, including 'French Paintings from the Collections of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon and Mrs. Mellon Bruce' at the National Gallery of Art in 1966, 'Monet in London' at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in 1988-1989, and 'Monet: Light, Shadow, and Reflection' at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel in 2017[1].

Series

- This painting is one of 41 works in Monet's Waterloo Bridge series, which is part of his broader 'London series' that also includes the 'Charing Cross Bridge' and 'Houses of Parliament' series[2].