Claude Monet "Cap d’Antibes (Cape of Antibes)"

1888
Oil on canvas
65.0×92.0㎝

In this piece, French painter Claude Monet employs intricate brushstrokes to elaborately depict a bright seascape in Southern France. He skillfully portrays the interplay of light and shadow on the trunk of the pine tree. Monet impresses with his novel ideas, such as the white touches in the distance, thought to represent the sails of yachts .
The close-up of a pine tree in the foreground, forming a powerful contrast with the background, gives the viewer a sense of being in the scene. This unique composition hints at the inspiration Monet drew from Japanese ukiyo-e prints.