Studying similar ’poles in water’ we can only notice that we have found another small detail of Monet´s repertory. You simply have to surrender and admire the technique and the masterly hand. Now we realize and understand the long travail of Monet before a painting was finally delivered. This is evident when we now understand the utmost pedantry that is behind every little daub of paint. Impressed? Yes it is impossible not to be.

Here we remember Skeggs writing: ” – it requires painstaking concentration, as each tone and colour must be exactly right before it reaches the canvas. The effect, however, cannot be matched, it is fresh and spontaneous and give the illusion of having been effortlessly achieved.”

Portrait of a Mooring Pole

We must return to the painting ’Boats’, (Kunsthalle Bremen), painted in 1869. Earlier we looked at the refelections in the water. Another detail of interest is the mooring pole in the ’Pole Position’ at the centre line of the picture. Though what really is interesting is how Monet registers the features of the scarred pole, once having been hammered down into the bottom of the river. It just is not any pole, it is this very Pole with it's own history. You probably already guessed which our next comparison will be.

Outline drawing comparison

Another interesting detail is the outline drawing left visible, that we find in very many of Monet's paintings - just as we do here.