Garden at Sainte-Adresse

Working in oil on canvas, Claude Monet painted this vibrant garden scene in 1867 at his family's summer home on the Normandy coast. The composition shows two terraces overlooking the sea, with family members seated among colorful flower beds while ships pass on the horizon. The painting now belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This early work already shows Monet's gift for capturing light and atmosphere. The bold horizontal bands of sky, sea, garden, and foreground create a structured composition unusual for the artist. The brilliant red and yellow flowers, the French flags snapping in the breeze, and the sparkling water demonstrate his emerging Impressionist approach to color and light.