View of Cap d'Antibes

Monet did not join the Impressionists in their last joint exhibition in Paris in 1886. Instead, in search of subjects that evidenced his ties to the French countryside, he began to take advantage of the expanded railway system and traveled throughout France, from the rugged Atlantic coast of Brittany to the warm Mediterranean and the Cap d’Antibes. The works he produced during the 1880s contrasted in palette, touch, and composition to represent the unique geography, weather, and spirit of the different places he visited. In Antibes, he painted a group of 35 canvases that captured the jewel-like tones of the sunny region in thick paint and short, almost “pointillistic” brushstrokes.