Nets, 1882 - by Claude Monet

Monet spent much of 1882 painting along the Normandy coast from the town of Pourville. Financially he was quite stable, helped greatly by the support of Durand Ruelj but this came to an abrupt end in 1882 with the catastrophic crash of the French stock market This led to a recession that lasted until the end of the decade, which in turn greatly affected Durand Ruel's own finances. Having initially decided against exhibiting at the seventh Impressionist Exhibition, Monet now changed his mind and exhibited mostly seascapes.

This painting of fishing nets is quite unique within the artist's oeuvre, with the uncharacteristically delicate painting of the translucent nets. It is an extraordinary painting and one of great beauty, particularly in the pale, pink toned sky, the light of which has been caught in the fragile nets and reflected with an eerie glow. The delicate nature of the nets and their poles contrasts with his more typical treatment of the eddying waves and white tops, while the structure also appears to sway gently with the busy movement of the wate.