Created from high-quality wood, milled with simple clean lines and presented with a satin finish. Includes an off-white mount that will not discolour or fade with age. - Simple, elegant design - Premium, fine art paper with a gently textured surface - Handmade by specialist picture framers - FSC certified off-white mat / window mount - Delivered ready for hanging

"Ice Floes" (also known as "Les Glaçons" or "Débâcle de la Seine"), created in 1880 by Claude Monet, is a masterful portrayal that captures the harsh yet mesmerizing beauty of winter on the Seine River. This oil painting illustrates floating ice chunks on a wide river under a cold, late-winter sky. The scene is characterized by the stark dichotomy between the icy blue of the frozen water and the muted, softened palette of the sky and distant landscape. The original painting is housed in the collection of the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, and it is available for public viewing in various exhibitions but is not permanently displayed in a single museum.

The composition of "Ice Floes" is both tranquil and dynamic. The river dominates the foreground and middle distance, wherein large, irregular blocks of ice drift aimlessly. Monet employs his signature broken brushstrokes to articulate the texture and volume of the ice – capturing the way light refracts and reflects off the shards. The ice appears almost crystalline, with lighter shades delineating the edges and shadows providing depth.

The muted sky occupies much of the upper portion of the canvas, painted in pastel hues, suggesting the dim, diffuse light common in winter months. The horizon line is subtle but effective, marked only by the distant banks of the river, where bare trees stand silently, their dark silhouettes against the light sky narrating the quiet dormancy of the season.

Claude Monet, born in 1840, is a seminal figure in the Impressionist movement, which sought to capture the transient effects of light and color in the natural world. By 1880, Monet had already established himself as a leading Impressionist painter, and "Ice Floes" is an excellent example of his dedication to plein air painting—working directly from nature.

During this period, Monet was deeply invested in studying and rendering various weather conditions and times of day, contributing significantly to his series paintings, such as those of the Rouen Cathedral and Water Lilies. "Ice Floes" fits into this broader exploration of natural phenomena, representing a complex interplay of light, water, and ice. This painting specifically showcases Monet’s capacity to imbue a seemingly static winter scene with a sense of movement and immediacy.

- Brushwork: Monet's deft use of brushwork creates a palpable texture of the ice floes, demonstrating his mastery in capturing light and shadow to render the solidity of the ice and the fluidity of the water beneath.
- Palette: The painting’s cool color palette, dominated by blue and white with touches of gray and brown, emphasizes the cold, crisp atmosphere of winter.
- Atmosphere: The serene yet frigid atmosphere is almost tangible, evoking the quiet desolation of a wintery riverscape.
- Historical Context: The winter of 1879–1880 in France was notably severe, leading to frequent ice on the rivers. Monet's work serves as both an aesthetic endeavor and a subtle documentary of the natural conditions of his time.

In summary, “Ice Floes” by Claude Monet is an evocative piece that encapsulates the artist’s ability to portray the transient beauty of nature through his Impressionist lens. It reflects not only Monet's technical skill but also his deep observation of and affinity for the natural world.