À propos de l’œuvre
Le Phare de Honfleur, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · The Hospice lighthouse and the Honfleur estuary · Kunsthaus Zürich
The Honfleur Lighthouse W38hand painted reproduction
From the estuary, Monet looks towards the houses of Honfleur and the lighthouse erected at the foot of the Côte de Grace. A boat loaded with four figures crosses the foreground, while the sailboats stretch to the horizon under an immense sky. This 1864 study further combines precise construction of the site with very free observation of water and clouds.
Look at the work
The lighthouse fixes the shore while the boats enliven the entire bay
On the left, the houses rise in tiers on the bank and tighten around the lighthouse. The clear tower, almost in the center, serves as a vertical pivot between the lower line of the shore and the large cloud masses. Monet keeps the constructions distinct enough to identify the place without making a topographical survey.
In the foreground, the rowers form a small dark band on the gray-green water. Further on, the white, brown and black sails gradually diminish. Their different inclinations give a direction to the wind and lead the gaze towards the luminous opening of the estuary.
The landscape is built around a stable landmark, but the water, sails and clouds already give the pattern the mobility that will become essential for Monet.
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 low horizon to give heaven its full place
The coastline remains below the middle of the canvas. The clouds thus occupy a considerable surface area and their alternation of gray, white and blue envelops the small architectures in a changing light.
Depths measured by boats
The nearby boat, the intermediate sailboats then the silhouettes on the horizon constitute several successive scales. This progression is enough to render the extent of the bay without apparent geometric perspective.
A signature inscribed in the tones of the shore
Monet signs lower left, in the calm area of the water. The dark color of the letters responds to the hulls and shadows of the bank instead of forming an isolated element.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The visual corresponds to the Honfleur Lighthouse, also called The Hospice Lighthouse, kept at the Kunsthaus Zürich under the 1968/0004 inventory and listed Wildenstein 38. The file is a real WebP of 1,200 × 800 px.
The headlight must remain thin but readable
Its light value stands out from the darker hill, with some accents that indicate the lantern and floors. Too massive a silhouette would change the scale of the entire coast.
Each sail has its own inclination
Triangles and masts are neither aligned nor repeated. Their variety creates the movement of the open sea and prevents boats from becoming a regular decorative motif.
Water receives colors from the sky
Gray greens, blues and whites mingle in short horizontal touches. The darker passages under the boats indicate reflections without drawing an exact duplicate of the hulls.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
Painted in 1864, this oil on canvas measures 54 × 81 cm. It is kept at the Kunsthaus Zürich under the 1968/0004 inventory and cataloged Wildenstein 38.
The Hospice lighthouse at the foot of the Côte de Grace
The Kunsthaus identifies the lower shore of the Côte de Grace and the neighboring lighthouse of the old hospice. Monet then knows the estuary between Le Havre, Sainte-Adresse and Honfleur very well.
A first formulation of the painting exhibited at the Salon
This painting is described as a study for the larger version from 1865, now at the Norton Simon Museum. Monet retains the same maritime motif, but modifies its scale and ambition for the Salon.
A donation to the Kunsthaus Zürich
The work entered the museum thanks to the heirs of Doctor Adolf Jöhr. Its inventory, its dimensions and the Wildenstein number 38 allow it to be distinguished from other neighboring views taken in 1864.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- Keep the horizon low and the scale of the sky.
- Respect the position of the lighthouse and the slope of the village.
- Stagger boats without leveling their sails.
- Keep the gray-green water animated with short reflections.
Work sheet
| Title | The Honfleur Lighthouse W38 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1864 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 54 × 81 cm |
| Orientation | Horizontal |
| Conservation | Kunsthaus Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland |
| Inventory | 1968/0004 · Wildenstein 38 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
This light navy is suitable for a living room, office or dining room. A gray oak, slate blue or off-white frame accompanies the sky; a linen, sea green or pearl gray wall reveals the sailboats.
