Claude Monet's Arrival Of The Normandy Train

Located in the Art Institute of Chicago is Claude Monet’s “Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare” painted in 1877. This artwork is representational because based on the historical train station known as Gare Saint-Lazare. The reason for his inspiration for painting this piece is Monet was intrigue by the industrial revolution of transportation so he rented an apartment start painting different time setting of day of trains in Gare Saint-Lazare. Then Monet gave this for Impressionist exhibition during the month of April with seven other canvases including this one. The subject is the arrival of the locomotive train called the Normandy arriving and dropping off passengers during some would say the afternoon or evening. What surround the Normandy are crowd’s people, little dimly lit shops,
The color scheme is mostly pale blues, white, light green, black, and hints of brown. The Saturation and Chroma of color are both balance in the painting. For example, the brightness of the white balance out the dullness of the green. The value of the painting is lighter than darker in the background, because of the light blue and white that makes up the sky. Space is mostly negative because one will see more of the surroundings of the train station than the train. When someone looks at the painting, one might feel a sense of melancholy and anxiety from the colors and busyness of the crowd rushing on and off the train, the background reminds one of an oncoming storm or end to a rainy day. Now learning more about the painting has broaden perspective and gain a greater understanding about it story. The meaning of this wonderful piece of art is how people adapt to new changes of time. What the artist is trying to say is underneath all this silent normality is hidden sense of impatient from cluster of people with various emotion trying to get somewhere in a rush on busy time of