European Railroad Discussion > Monet and Me

Claude Monet is well known for his paintings of nature, in particular his Water Lilly painting from his garden in Giverny. The photo here of a Monet painting was part of his earlier years during his fascination with trains and stations, as well as a few industrial subjects. My photo was taken in early June at St Lazare station in Paris, and of course Monet's famous painting was also from St Lazare, painted in 1877. My "impression" is of course digital and worth very little other then to me, Monet's St Lazare?....priceless. Maybe Claude was a railfan?

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Thanks for the juxtaposition of those two images. The painting, fittingly enough, hangs in a former train station, the Gare d'Orsay, now a museum.

My understanding is that he could be described as a "steam fan" in the same sense he could be described as a "fog fan" or "summer haze" fan, or "industrial smog" fan.  He was really into painting scenes where atmospheric conditions were prominently displayed.

Fortunately for all, European trainsheds don't fill with coal smoke anymore.

colehour Wrote:
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> Thanks for the juxtaposition of those two images.
> The painting, fittingly enough, hangs in a former
> train station, the Gare d'Orsay, now a museum.

Yes. One of our favorite places in Paris.

It was on our list but we ran out of time. Probably better than the Louvre and less crowded. And a Railway station!

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> It was on our list but we ran out of time.
> Probably better than the Louvre and less crowded.
> And a Railway station!

The two museums cannot begin to be compared as the Musee d'Orsay is made up almost exclusively of works from the 19th and early 20th centuries,(specifically between 1848 and 1914).

In contrast the Louvre is many times bigger and less crowded except around some of the obviously corny stuff such as the "Mona Lisa". You might even at times find it hard to see any other visitors in some parts, such as the the Flemish galleries, although the works on display are extremely important, and can be quite mid-blowing.

I was to the Louvre and Orsay in late May. I preferred the Orsay, more intimate less crowded. To each his own.

Mexrail

If you are truly a fan of Monet, the Museum Marmottan in Paris has the largest collection of his works. That includes "Impression, Sunrise" that gave rise to the term, Impressionism. And don't forget l'Orangerie, which has a complete Water Lily installation, surrounding you the way Monet intended. And don't neglect a trip to his home in Giverny. You get there by train to Vernon from -- bringing this thread full circle -- St. Lazare station.