La Grenouillère

In the summer of 1869 Monet was broke, barely feeding his family, and he set up his easel beside his friend Renoir at a floating cafe and bathing spot on the Seine called La Grenouillère, an easy train ride from Paris. The two of them painted the same little island and gangway side by side, and you can find Renoir's version of nearly this same view in a museum in Stockholm. Monet called it a dream he could only make bad sketches for, but the loose broken strokes he used for the water here, quick dashes of light rather than careful drawing, are already the beginnings of what would soon be called Impressionism.