View of the Prins Hendrikkade and the Kromme Waal in Amsterdam

Monet painted this study during his second visit to the Netherlands. He painted the end of the Prins Hendrikkade in Amsterdam, then called the Kamperhoofd, from a boat on the IJ. To the left is the Kromme Waal, with the Waalseilandsgracht where boats could moor. Monet used small dabs of paint to represent the rippling water, in which the sky, the quay and the boats are reflected. The houses on the Kromme Waal form a grey skyline in the background. Monet depicted the buildings on the Kamperhoofd in greater detail.

However, this rapidly painted scene is not a realistic rendering of the location but an impression of light and atmosphere characteristic of the impressionist movement. Monet worked with loose brushstrokes and light colours, whose effect is mainly evident at a distance.