Tranquility

Le Soleil Levant

By Claude Monet

A noiseless scene is displayed in Claude Monet’s Soleil Levant. The calming hues establish a peaceful mood, as the sun shines through the monotonous grey tones of the indiscrete trees. The viewer’s eye is first drawn to the darkest figure in the boat, where it lingers before being sucked into the adjacent rare orange lines in the water. The thick blazing brush strokes lead the eye back to the rising sun; the one distinct circular figure in the painting. The sky above the sun is a dull yellow with sparse strokes of pink, green, grey, and blue. Yet a line is created as the hues shift to darker tones of blue and grey around the sun. Although the trees are not realistically depicted, the idea is transcribed to the viewer in a minimal way. Thick green horizontal brushstrokes in the water enunciate the reflections of the trees and underbrush. A gentle grey wash sets an overcast glow over the scene as if to represent the fog or mist of the early morning. It seeps in from both sides of the painting, in attempt to consume the sun.

Two boats, both carrying passengers, float alongside each other. Yet, the more central boat is a darker hue, making it stand out drastically against the soporific water. The solitary figures seem to be drifting in the seclusion of the tranquil morning. The river sweeps back around and is hidden to the eyes of the viewer, but it leads somewhere far away as if the river itself is leading to a more peaceful place. Drifting along with the tide, swaying in the current of hues, the viewer is sent off into the distant unknown peace just around the sun.