Strada Romana in Bordighera

In the winter of 1884 Bordighera was a resort on the Italian Riviera, ten kilometres from the French border, and the Strada Romana was the street visitors came to see, lined with the villas of wealthy winter residents. Monet painted it three times. In this one the houses barely survive. Villa Goffin on the right and the Casa Rossa on the left are pushed back behind a palm and a wall of flowering shrubs, and the early afternoon light gets the front of the picture. He had written home that a place like this would need a palette of diamonds and jewels to do it justice. He worked the canvas outdoors, standing in front of the motif.