À propos de l’œuvre
Le Mont Kolsaas, Norvège (Tempête de neige, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · 1895 · Fondation Planque FJSP-998-115 · W1417
Mount Kolsaas, snowstorm W1417hand painted reproduction
A mountain almost erased by snow dominates a silent Norwegian valley. Monet reduces the landscape to very fine gaps of warm gray, blue and pink. The summit of Kolsaas merges with the sky, while a line of conifers and some dark accents maintain the depth. The storm is not described by a spectacular movement: it can be seen in the progressive disappearance of forms.
Look at the work
The snow absorbs the mountain, the forest and the sky until it leaves only a few marks
The mass of the Kolsaas occupies almost the entire upper half. Its slope is perceptible thanks to small variations in value rather than an outline. Brown grays, muted purples and milky blues give the relief an immense but unstable presence.
In the center, the forest forms an irregular band of small verticals. The foreground opens diagonally with bluish and beige snow. Two tiny, darker shapes are enough to scale the site and measure the distance to the mountain.
Monet paints less of a summit than of reduced visibility: the storm transforms the mountain into an atmosphere.
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 series produced during the Norwegian winter
Monet stayed in Norway at the beginning of 1895, near his stepson Jacques Hoschedé. Between February and March, he returned several times to the Kolsaas to record variations in snow, mist and light.
Plans constructed without clear lines
The foreground, the forest and the mountain are separated by their color temperature. The ground contains more blues, the trees concentrate the browns and the massif approaches the sky. Too contrasting reproduction would destroy this delicate depth.
A retained material
The surface appears velvety because the keys are close together and not very saturated. Thicker accents remain rare, especially in trees and clear passages of snow. The gesture must remain visible without hardening the whole.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The single reference image measures 2,200 × 1,415 px. It shows the FJSP-998-115 version and has been re-encoded into a true WebP at its native definition, without artificial enlargement.
A mountain placed very high
The summit brushes the upper edge and the slope largely fills the field. This scale gives the landscape its monumentality. Reducing the mountain or enlarging the sky would completely change the effect of the storm.
Taupe gray, snow blue and cold pink
The palette is warmer than a simple white landscape. Grays contain ocher and mauve, while snow mixes pale blue and pink. These tiny gaps should remain distinct.
Trees suggested by small brands
The forest is not drawn tree by tree. It is built by a succession of vertical touches, sometimes interrupted by fog. Their irregularity gives the vibration of the landscape.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
These landmarks concern precisely the painting of the Jean and Suzanne Planque Foundation, inventory FJSP-998-115 and Wildenstein 1417.
Planque Foundation FJSP-998-115, W1417
This oil on canvas from 1895 measures 65 × 100 cm. It belongs to the Jean and Suzanne Planque Foundation and is presented at the Granet XXe site, in the chapel of the White Penitents in Aix-en-Provence.
Twelve views of Mount Kolsaas
The Granet Museum recalls that Monet painted twelve canvases dedicated to the massif during his stay. Each version retains a similar framing, but modifies the weather, the density of the air and the readability of the relief.
A storm rendered by erasure
The W1417 version is distinguished by its gray-brown veil and the weak separation between the summit and the sky. The trees and shapes in the foreground become the only points of support for the gaze.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- The exact version FJSP-998-115, catalog Wildenstein 1417
- The original very horizontal ratio of 65 × 100 cm
- The mountain maintained almost confused with the sky
- Warm grays, snow blues and pinks preserved without excessive contrast
Work sheet
| Title | Mount Kolsaas, snowstorm W1417 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1895 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 65 × 100 cm |
| Orientation | Horizontal |
| Conservation | Jean and Suzanne Planque Foundation, deposit at the Granet XXe site, Aix-en-Provence, France |
| Inventory | FJSP-998-115 · Wildenstein 1417 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
Taupe gray, mist blue, cool pink, brown and ivory give this hand-painted reproduction a deep sobriety. Its horizontal format is suitable for a quiet living room, an office or a bedroom with stone, linen or off-white walls.
