At Cap d'Antibes, Mistral Wind

Claude Monet captured Cap d'Antibes during a mistral in 1888, the cold north wind that sweeps down to the Mediterranean. The wind bends vegetation and churns the sea into choppy blue waves, creating dramatically different conditions from his calmer views of the same coast.

The mistral brought challenges and opportunities. Monet complained that his easel kept blowing over, forcing him to secure it with rocks. But the clear skies and intense light that accompany the wind also transformed the landscape. These windy canvases show rougher brushwork matching the agitated atmosphere.

The painting now hangs at the Courtauld Gallery in London. Comparing this to Monet's calm morning views reveals how thoroughly weather altered his perception of the same landscape. The series approach allowed him to document these variations systematically.