The Magnificent Variations of Claude Monet: His Series of 12 Works on the Gare Saint-Lazare

Claude Monet 
La Tranchée des Batignolles
En 1877
H. 38 ; L. 46 cm. 
Collection Wurth, Rome, Italie

Claude Monet's artwork, titled 'La Tranchée des Batignolles,' depicts an immersive scene of railway life at the Saint Lazare station in Paris. Monet captures the movement of trains along the tracks, creating a sense of energy and speed. The trains are represented suggestively, with blurred outlines that suggest smooth movement. Light is used vividly to reflect the reflections on the metal surfaces of the trains, rails, and bridge, as well as atmospheric variations. The smoke escaping from the locomotive chimneys is depicted lightly and vaporously, evoking its movement in the air. In the background, the urban landscape of the Saint Lazare station adds a contextual dimension to the scene. Overall, the artwork offers an immersion into the energy of this era of transition and railway modernity.