War and peace

This is one of the works produced by Monet when he moved from Paris to London to escape the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1). Leaving the conflict in France behind, he paints his new home as peaceful and atmospheric.

Reflection

The jetty in the foreground casts broken shadows on the river, and we can see the new foliage of the trees on the Embankment to the right.

Distant chimes

Monet shows the misty atmosphere of London on a spring day, with the Houses of Parliament in the background. You can almost hear Big Ben's 'bongs' ringing out over the river.

Abstract shapes

In contrast to the soft, biomorphic shapes in many of Krasner's earlier paintings, a number of hard-edged abstract forms can be found in this later work.

Brimming with color

The work is filled with three main colors – kelly green, carmine red, and a fuchsia pink.

Geometric forms

The geometric forms used in Krasner's ‘Primary Series’ can be seen in this work, described by the art historian Cindy Nemser as ‘expansive yet contained … stately [and] slow-moving’.

Cracks and scratches

If you get right up close to 'Palingenesis', you can start to see the cracks and scratches in the paint.