À propos de l’œuvre
Les meules de blé (souris, effet de neige, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · Giverny · 1890 -1891 · W1278
Grinding wheels, sunset, snow effect W1278hand painted reproduction
Two millstones close together stand out in a snowy field, under a sky that goes from cold purple to sunset orange. This oil on canvas measuring 65.3 × 100.4 cm, painted in 1890 -1891, is kept at the Art Institute of Chicago under number 1922.431 and corresponds to Wildenstein 1278.
Look at the work
The sunset heats the sky while the snow cools the millstones
The large millstone dominates the center left and almost overlaps the smaller one placed behind it. Their compact mass remains entirely below the line of hills, as if embedded between the snow-covered field and the distant landscape.
The sky turns orange and pink on the right, but remains purple-blue on the left. These temperatures are found in the snow and on the millstones: mauve in the shadows, red-brown on the sides and bright blue in the cold passages.
W1278 gets its intensity from two simultaneous lights: the sky burns at sunset while the snow reflects a blue light around the millstones.
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.
Two grinding wheels brought together after modification
Technical examination of the museum reveals that they were initially much further away. Monet moved them towards the center in order to create the compact group visible today.
A horizon line also taken up
Traces below the surface indicate that the horizon had been placed lower. Its raising further encloses the millstones in the blue bands of the winter landscape.
A surface constructed in layers
The orange sky combines a light layer and orange-red touches applied after drying. Elsewhere, the colors mingle in the cool or are rubbed in opaque passages.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The sheet uses a single exact image of W1278. The real WebP measures 2,200 × 1,415 px, kept at its available resolution without artificial enlargement.
Respect the overlap of the two grinding wheels
The small shape should remain visible on the left without coming off completely. This proximity is the result of an important decision by Monet during execution.
Preserve the purple-orange passage of the sky
The transition should not become a smooth gradient. Distinct touches of pink, purple, orange and yellow keep the material atmospheric.
Keep the blues intense in the snow
The cast shadows and reliefs of the field include cobalt and ultramarine. Neutralizing them gray would remove the essential opposition with the sunset.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
The Art Institute of Chicago documents Grinding wheels, sunset, snow effect, oil on canvas from 1890 -1891, 65.3 × 100.4 cm, inventory 1922.431 and W1278.
Presented by Durand-Ruel in May 1891
The painting appears at number 13 of the exhibition of Monet's recent works under the title Meules, sunset, snow effect. The series enjoyed decisive critical and commercial success.
Purchased by Potter Palmer in 1892
Durand-Ruel bought the painting from Monet on July 20, 1891, then sold it to Potter Palmer in Chicago on February 29, 1892. The Palmer family donated it to the museum in 1922.
A number 40 marine format support
The museum identifies a prepared linen canvas corresponding to the standard format 65 × 100 cm. Wire correspondences connect it to several other paintings by Monet.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- The Wildenstein 1278 version
- The two millstones brought together in the center left
- The orange and purple sky of bedtime
- Cobalt and purple shadows on the snow
Work sheet
| Title | Grinding wheels, sunset, snow effect W1278 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1890 - 1891 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 65.3 × 100.4 cm |
| Orientation | Panoramic horizontal |
| Conservation | Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Inventory | 1922.431 · Wildenstein 1278 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
The very wide format is suitable above a sofa, sideboard or bed. A gray blue, earthy pink or off-white wall and dark wood emphasize the contrast between snow and sunset.
