Houses of Parliament, London

Working in oil on canvas, Claude Monet painted this atmospheric view of the Houses of Parliament from across the Thames during his London visits between 1899 and 1904. The Gothic architecture dissolves into mist and fog, with the setting sun casting purple and orange reflections across the water. Monet made over 100 paintings of London during these trips.

Working from the balcony of St. Thomas's Hospital, Monet captured the famous London fog, which he found endlessly fascinating. He later finished many of these canvases in his Giverny studio, working from memory and his own color notations. The series demonstrates his mature Impressionist technique at its most atmospheric.