I stopped by the Baltimore Museum of Art on my walk home from work
this evening to check out the new feature exhibit. Monet’s
London is the first US viewing for many of the 24 Monet paintings in the show, which captures the artist’s
reflections on the Thames from 1859-1914. The exhibit also features over 100 oils, watercolors, etches, engravings and
photographs by Monet’s contemporaries.
While away from his Giverny home working on his London
canvases, Monet stayed at the Savoy Hotel, from which he had excellent
views of the Waterloo and Charing Cross bridges. He also secured special permission to paint from the opposite side of
the river, by the St. Thomas Hospital. Monet often painted in the morning, capturing Parliament in the hazy fog and
breaks of sun along the river. While Monet chose to focus on the silhouettes of the bridges and buildings along the
banks, other artists at the turn of the century were drawn to the pulse of the river — the sailing barges, watermen and
activity along the docklands.
Illustrator and Philadelphia native Joseph Pennell called
London “the most etchable place in the world”; writer
William Blanchard Jerrold named the Thames “The
Silent Highway” in his book, London: A Pilgrimage; and painter
Childe Hassam, in his book “Three Cities”, said that “…a
portrait of a city is like a portrait of a person.” Pieces by all three are also a part of the exhibit, which runs
through December 31. If you’re planning a visit, the BMA has
Free First Thursdays and Extended Hours on Fridays after
Five.