Poplars at Giverny

In addition to grainstacks, rows of poplars were a central motif in Claude Monet’s early years in Giverny. Only the layering of the trees and the nuanced shading of their leaves give a suggestion of spatial depth. The lack of a center and the seemingly random lateral selection lend the picture an element of decorative flatness. The missing horizon line and the abrupt cropping of the poplars give an impression that boundaries have been eliminated.