À propos de l’œuvre
Arrivée du train de Normandie, gare Saint-Lazare, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · The Normandy train enters the station · Art Institute of Chicago
Arrival of the Normandy train, Saint-Lazare W440 stationhand painted reproduction
A dark locomotive advances under the glass roof, surrounded by a white and blue cloud that rises to the beams. Wagons, passengers and employees spread out on the platforms. Monet does not paint an isolated machine: he captures the moment when the train transforms all the air in the station.
Look at the work
The locomotive advances amidst steam architecture
The machine is placed slightly to the right of the center, facing the viewer. On the left, red and brown wagons run along the quay. A street lamp and several vertical figures punctuate the vast green and ocher foreground.
The glass and iron roof opens wide to outside light. White steam wraps around the locomotive, while a darker plume passes through the upper windows. Parisian buildings remain visible in the opening between structures.
The train becomes visible as much by the mass of its boiler as by the layers of steam it projects in front of the light.
Composition, touch and light
What Monet builds behind the impression of snapshot
Three precise elements allow us to understand this composition and the essential difficulties of faithful reproduction.
A locomotive on the edge of the axis
The machine does not exactly coincide with the center. This slight shift lets the left platform breathe and makes the finish more dynamic.
A depth built by the quays
Rails, wagons and figure alignments move back towards the opening. The horizontals of the ground compensate for the diagonals of the roof.
Two painting materials for the station
The museum's technical studies show thick material in the steam and thinner in the frame, a difference essential to the atmospheric effect.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The unique reference corresponds to inventory 1933.1158 of the Art Institute of Chicago, Wildenstein version 440. The high definition file was reduced without enlargement to 3,000 × 2,250 px then encoded in WebP.
The large plume partially hides the roof
The steam passes in front of certain beams and reveals others. This alternation creates the depth of the air.
The green floor balances the blues
The large area of the foreground mixes green, turquoise and ocher. It prevents the station from becoming a purely gray composition.
The faces are little red touches
The museum observes red-brown accents to suggest the figures. They must remain brief and integrated into the crowd.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
Painted and dated 1877, this 60.3 × 80.2 cm oil on canvas is kept at the Art Institute of Chicago under the reference 1933.1158 and classified Wildenstein 440.
Twelve views of Saint-Lazare
In 1877, Monet dedicated a set of twelve paintings to the station, tracks and signals. This version shows the arrival of the Normandy train inside the hall.
Execution in two main stages
The museum's scientific study distinguishes a largely brushed installation then thicker additions, particularly in the locomotive, the figures and the steam swirls.
From the collector Hoschedé to the Ryerson bequest
Ernest Hoschedé bought the painting from Monet in March 1877. Having worked with several dealers and collectors, he entered the Art Institute in 1933 thanks to the bequest of Martin A. Ryerson.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- Respect the shift of the locomotive to the right.
- Superimpose the steam in front and behind the beams.
- Keep the wide green and ocher foreground.
- Limit travelers to precise but not detailed keys.
Work sheet
| Title | Arrival of the Normandy train, Saint-Lazare W440 station |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1877 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 60.3 × 80.2 cm |
| Orientation | Horizontal |
| Conservation | Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, United States |
| Inventory | 1933.1158 · Wildenstein 440 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
This bright industrial stage is suitable for an office, contemporary living room or loft. A black frame, patinated steel or dark wood accompanies the frame and brings out the blues of the steam.
