Cat. 34  Sandvika, Norway, 1895

Monet Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago

At the top, a pale gray sky sits over a rounded blue‑green hill and clusters of trees. Across the middle, several buildings with white, snow-covered roofs run left to right, with small red windows and tall leafless trees in light purple and blue on the right. In the foreground, a dark arched bridge with snow along its rail spans a small gap, with a low fence to the left and snowy ground all around. Colors are soft whites, grays, blues, and purples with touches of red; the bridge appears largest in front, the buildings mid‑sized behind it, and the hill broad in the background.

Cat. 34

Sandvika, Norway^[1]
1895
Oil on canvas; 73.4 × 92.5 cm (28 7/8 × 36 3/8 in.)
Signed and dated: Claude Monet 95 (lower left, in greenish-blue paint)
The Art Institute of Chicago, gift of Bruce Borland, 1961.790

Technical Report
Provenance
Exhibition History
Selected References
Other Documentation

Norwegian Adventure

In Claude Monet’s painterly quest to depict the seasonal variations of nature under differing atmospheric conditions, even the dormant winter was filled with promise. Snow was something he had treated since the 1860s, but his painting Sandvika, Norway, depicting the Norwegian village of that name near Christiania (now Oslo), was particularly meaningful.^[2] It was one of over two dozen that were begun during the artist’s two-month visit to Norway in early 1895. Monet focused on six motifs there: in addition to six nearly identical views of Sandvika, Monet painted local wooden houses (fig. 34.1 [W1393], fig. 34.2 [W1394], and fig. 34.3 [W1404]), the Christiana fjord (fig. 34.4 [W1402]), and Mount Kolsaas (fig. 34.5 [W1415]), the last of which he painted at least a dozen times.^[3] Monet treasured the paintings that he had made during his voyage to Norway, even though none sold after they were first exhibited at Durand-Ruel in May 1895.1

FIGS. 34.1–34.5

Pale blue‑gray sky with light purple patches spans the top. Across the middle, a small red two‑story building with a snow‑covered roof stands on the left, while a longer red‑and‑beige building with a greenish roof edge stretches along the right; both have dark door or window openings and faint bluish hills behind them. The foreground is a wide expanse of snow in whites and light blues, with a few small brown forms near the lower left. — Fig. 34.1

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). *Norway, Red Houses at Björnegaard*, 1895. Oil on canvas; 65 × 81 cm (25 5/8 × 31 7/8 in.). Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. Bridgeman Images.

At the top, a cloudy sky in pale gray with soft pink and light blue areas stretches across the scene. In the middle, two small dark cabins sit on a low hill, the left one slightly larger and nearer the center, both capped with white snow and separated by a short gap. The foreground is a broad snowy field in white with light blue and pale pink shadows, making the cabins look small against the wide expanse. — Fig. 34.2

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). *The Houses in the Snow, Norway*, 1895. Oil on canvas; 66 × 92.8 cm (26 × 36.5 in.). Sold, Sotheby’s, New York, Nov. 2, 2005, lot 57.

At the top, a pale blue sky stretches over a low mountain ridge in peach and light tan. In the middle, two dark gray-brown buildings with steep, snow-covered roofs dominate the view: a larger structure on the left with a dark window and a smaller one on the right, separated by a narrow gap that shows the mountains. Across the bottom, uneven piles of white and light blue snow cover the ground. — Fig. 34.3

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). *Houses in the Snow and Mount Kolsaas*, 1895. Oil on canvas; 65 × 92 cm (25 5/8 × 36 1/4 in.). Fujikawa Galleries, Inc., Tokyo.

At the top, a pale blue sky stretches over low, bluish-purple hills that run across the background. Below them, a wide, deep blue body of water fills the center, bordered by white snow along uneven shores. Small snow-covered islands with clusters of dark green and brown trees sit left of center and at the right midground. In the foreground, irregular white snowbanks with dark patches of exposed ground frame the water from the lower right and lower left. — Fig. 34.4

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). *Fjord at Christiania, Norway*, 1895. Oil on canvas; 65 × 91.5 cm (25 5/8 × 36 1/16 in.). Private collection. Bridgeman Images.

Top area shows a pale sky in light gray with faint touches of yellow and pink. Center holds a large rounded mountain in gray-blue tones, with smaller peaks to the left and a dense, dark green-gray tree line stretching across its lower slopes. Foreground is a broad snowy expanse in white and light gray with a few small darker spots that resemble rocks or bushes. — Fig. 34.5

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). *Mount Kolsaas, Norway*, 1895. Oil on canvas; 65.5 × 100 cm (25 13/16 × 39 3/8 in.). Musee d’Orsay, Paris. Giraudon/Bridgeman Images.

In 1899, however, Monet personally donated Sandvika, Norway, now in the Art Institute’s collection, to the sale organized to benefit the children of Impressionist painter Alfred Sisley after his death. Aside from this painting, which was aquired by Durand-Ruel at that sale, as well as eight additional Norwegian works that the dealer purchased in 1900–01, Monet held on to most of the Norway paintings until his death.^[4] But despite the fact that Monet depicted Sandvika as a peaceful winter wonderland, the circumstances under which the series was painted were far from idyllic for him.
2

Why Norway?

The precise reason for Monet’s trip is unknown; however, it was likely instigated by a combination of factors. The general cultural climate may have played a part: Norwegian literature, theater, and music were fashionable in France in the early 1890s, perhaps piquing Monet’s interest in exploring a country in which his work had been warmly received since 1883. It is also possible that Fritz Thaulow, the Norwegian painter who was an acquaintance of Monet, may have encouraged him to visit. Most compelling, perhaps, was that Monet’s stepson, Jacques Hoschedé, had moved to Christiania in 1894, and the family was eager for an eyewitness report.^[5] Painting was certainly also a priority, for Monet brought canvases from home. Sandvika, Norway bears no canvas stamp, but it has been found to have a warp-thread match with seven other Monet paintings in the Art Institute’s collection (dating from before and after his Norway trip), suggesting that the canvas on which it is painted was purchased from the Paris supplier Troisgros Frères (see Technical Report).^[6]3

Monet was not initially impressed with Norway. Getting there required a long and difficult journey via multiple trains and ferries that were delayed by the harsh winter weather; he departed Giverny on January 28 and did not arrive until February 1. Upon his arrival in Christiania, he was dismayed to find the fjords icy and covered in snow.^[7] A multiday trip by sleigh to scope out sites and motifs with his stepson changed his outlook completely. The mountains and the frozen waterfalls he saw captivated him, and within two weeks after his arrival, he was writing home about his intention to begin painting.^[8] Many of the potential sites were not accessible by train or sleigh, only on skis, however, which limited his choices.
4

Having selected what to paint, Monet experienced further logistical difficulties.^[9] He was frustrated over the time he had to spend traveling to and from the motifs he had selected, as well as the trouble it took to set up his painting equipment once he got there. He also had to adapt to the extreme weather in Norway, but this was an accomplishment that filled him with pride. “I have bought equipment, shoes, hats, clothes, etc., and it will have to be very cold before I start to freeze,” Monet wrote to his wife.^[10] “But I am coping well with it, to the considerable amazement of the people here, who are themselves rather sensitive to the cold.” Having to travel by sled simply to get to the sites exposed him to the bitter winter weather. It is tempting to think that the areas found in Sandvika, Norway where soft paint appears to have been pressed by a fibrous material were the result of Monet’s having to transport his canvases and extra equipment by sleigh while wearing all of his additional clothing (fig. 34.6; see Technical Report).
5

From top to bottom, a textured gray area with purple tones shows dense, short crisscross lines and small ridges. Darker red patches appear more concentrated near the top and upper corners, while the lower portion looks lighter with fewer pronounced lines. A black scale bar labeled 5.0 mm is in the lower right. — Monet 61.790 MIC 14

Top and right areas are solid black, filling most of the frame. In the bottom-left quarter, a small rectangular area shows pale whites and light blues with soft red patches arranged as rectangular and triangular shapes across the middle, with thin blue vertical lines scattered throughout. A narrow dark curved band runs along the lower edge of this colored area, and a small black square sits near the left side of the red band. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.6

Photomicrograph of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing the impression left by a fibrous material in the soft paint. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

The Challenges of Norway

The ups and downs Monet experienced in Norway were typical of most of his painting expeditions from the 1880s onward: momentary frustration would lead him to question the campaign, but by the end of his trip, he would regret that he did not have more time to paint his carefully selected subjects (see, e.g., cats. 38–41 and cat. 45).^[11] By February 15, Monet at last revealed that his trip could be productive. As he explained to Alice, “It has been two days since I wrote to you, because although still feeling very low and on the point of taking the boat for Le Havre [to come home], I wished nonetheless to try to find myself a little corner, where I could work without having to go everywhere by sleigh or by train. And after my walk, which I still find enchanting, I believe I have finally found it. I have just settled in, three quarters of an hour away from Christiania.”^[12] The “little corner” he had found for himself was Sandvika, the subject of the Art Institute’s painting.6

Monet’s troubles did not end once he found his motifs. He soon discovered the complications posed by moments of intense sunshine. “I am trying to summon all my courage and all my willpower so as to begin my week tomorrow morning,” he wrote Alice on February 24.^[13] “My canvases are prepared, I know where I ought to be at various times of the day, weather permitting, for there are places which I have seen in cloudy weather which are impossible in sunshine, the snow is so brilliant and blinding to the eyes.” Furthermore, the changing condition of the snow caused by the sun’s rays was an additional source of aggravation. Writing about the marvelous sight of freshly fallen snow on fir trees, Monet expressed his frustration: “I am even more furious because this will not last,” he wrote to his stepdaughter on March 1. “One hour of sunshine or a little wind and it will all fall off.”^[14]
7

Norway and Japan

In that same letter to his stepdaughter, Monet curiously described one of his chosen Norwegian motifs by referencing an even more foreign land—Japan: “I have begun painting a view of Sandviken which resembles a Japanese village, and I am also painting a mountain which is visible from all directions here and which makes me think of Fuji-Yama.”^[15] Numerous scholars have commented upon the influence of Japanese woodblock prints on Monet’s work, and Monet’s comment here is often cited to support that. Joel Isaacson has noted the compositional similarities between the Sandvika series and prints by Utagawa Hiroshige such as Kanbara, Evening Snow (fig. 34.7) and The Compound of the Tenman Shrine at Kameido in the Snow (fig. 34.8).^[16] Indeed, elements of the Chicago picture bear a strong resemblance to these prints: Monet’s depiction of the village is nestled between the curved frame of snow in the foreground and the rising mountain in the background; the angular roofs of the snow-topped houses—made from thick strokes of stiff white paint—punctuate the landscape of icy trees; and the foreshortened Lökke Bridge creates a distinct diagonal line that leads the viewer into the painting in a zigzag fashion.8

At the top, a dark gray sky with falling snow stretches over pale gray mountains. In the middle, rows of buildings with steep, white-covered roofs cluster on the right and line a narrow waterway on the left. In the foreground, a snow-covered slope runs right to left, where two adults walk leftward; one wears a blue garment with white dots and holds a pink umbrella, and the other wears a tan hooded cape, leaving footprints behind. Whites and grays dominate with touches of blue, pink, and tan, and the people appear small compared with the buildings and mountains. — Fig. 34.7

Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858). *Kanbara, Evening Snow (Kanbara, yoru no yuki)*, from the series *Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road* (*Tokaido gojusan tsugi no uchi*), 1833/34. Color woodblock print; oban; 24.1 × 36.8 cm (9 1/2 × 14 1/2 in.). Art Institute of Chicago, Clarence Buckingham Collection, 1925.3517.

At the top, a gray sky with falling white snow hangs over a dark line of trees. Across the middle, large red buildings with pale roofs and a long covered walkway sit among bare trees, with arched bridges crossing a narrow blue stream. In the foreground, the water curves around snowy banks and a stone wall, and small figures carry yellow, blue, and green umbrellas as they move along the paths and bridges. — Fig. 34.8

Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858). *The Compound of the Tenman Shrine at Kameido in the Snow (Kameido Tenmangu keidai no yuki*), from the series *Famous Views in the Eastern Capital* (*Toto meisho*), 1834/35. Color woodblock print; oban; 22.5 × 34.3 cm (8 7/8 × 13 1/2 in.). Art Institute of Chicago, Clarence Buckingham Collection, 1925.3465.

The similarities between Monet’s paintings and Japanese prints notwithstanding, the Sandvika pictures include many features that highlight his grounding in Western artistic practice, as noted by Paul Tucker.^[17] In particular, this is apparent in Monet’s attempts to capture environmental effects by using textured surfaces and modulated color. Tucker pinpoints a difference in the treatment of mountains by the two artists: “[U]nlike Mount Fuji, Monet’s mountain does more than rise and fall. It expands and contracts, trembles and hovers, pushes and strains … the mountain refuses to be restrained by a kind of rationale or graphic clarity that characterizes Hokusai’s Mount Fuji.”^[18] Although Tucker’s statement here is specific to Monet’s paintings of Mount Kolsaas (see fig. 34.5), the observation holds true for the Art Institute’s painting of Sandvika. In order to capture the “vast whiteness” of the environment, Monet’s palette consisted of mostly lead white, which he used to subdue and vary his rather limited use of color (see Technical Report).^[19] Furthermore, texture abounds in Monet’s depiction of the mountain in Sandvika: he built up the surface with thick, wavy strokes that were painted over but still remain visible; he applied short, textured strokes of low impasto; and he added final touches of more intense blues and greens to further complicate the network of brushstrokes he had already laid in (fig. 34.9). These variously applied paint layers create the shimmering and glistening effect of snow, a concern that is not shared by Japanese printmakers like Hiroshige or Hokusai when treating similar themes.
9

Top area shows a pale gray sky. Below it, a large rounded hill spans most of the scene in light blue, teal, and lavender, formed by dense clusters of small, curved shapes. At the bottom center, the peak of a small tan roof with a white top appears in front of the hill, partly covered by the surrounding shapes. — Fig. 34.9

Detail of Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing texture created by network of brushstrokes. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Creating Sandvika

The complex textured surface of the Art Institute’s Sandvika was the result of multiple work sessions, which is evident from the presence of wet-over-dry brushwork at various stages of the painting process (see Technical Report). A few of the more colorful touches, including some of the blue- and rose-toned strokes scattered throughout the landscape, were among the last additions to the picture. The application of finishing touches in the studio is in keeping with Monet’s practice of the 1890s, as we now know that he spent much time on his series paintings back in his Giverny studio (e.g., Stacks of Wheat [cats. 27–32]), delaying their exhibition so he could continue perfecting their color harmonies (e.g., London [cats. 38–41]). This was not the case with the Norwegian pictures: Monet exhibited eight of them, including the Chicago painting, at Durand-Ruel’s gallery in May 1895, shortly upon his return to France. The show, which was scheduled rather hastily, also featured works from Monet’s series of paintings of Rouen Cathedral, which he had long postponed exhibiting, as well as a selection of pieces from his previous series, making it a kind of mini-retrospective. The inclusion of the Norway paintings in this show, as argued by Paul Tucker, suggests that Monet wanted to advance his reputation as a painter with an international dimension.^[20]10

It is impossible to know whether Monet completed Sandvika during his trip, finished it in the month or so prior to the exhibition, or retouched it after the show but before placing it in the sale to benefit Sisley’s family.^[21] Regardless of when Monet applied his final brushstrokes to Sandvika, he held to the claim he made during an interview in Norway: “I am pursuing the impossible. Other painters paint a bridge, a house, a boat … I want to paint the air in which the bridge, the house, and the boat are to be found—the beauty of the air around them, and that is nothing less than the impossible.”^[22] Indeed, Monet was not especially concerned with modifying forms in this painting, for the bridge, the houses, and the other features included in the picture differ little from those seen in the related drawing (fig. 34.10 [D399]), perhaps the most elaborate of the thirty sketches he brought back in his carnet.^[23] Furthermore, technical examination of the Art Institute’s canvas indicates that Monet did not make any significant compositional changes to it during the course of its execution.11

Jill Shaw
12

Two light tan pages form a spread; the left page is mostly empty with a faint round stamp near center-left and a small “52” at the lower left. The right page shows faint gray outlines of a valley scene: at the top are large rounded mountain lines, below them a cluster of small rectangular buildings with pitched roofs. In the lower half, a curved bridge crosses from left toward center with a narrow waterway below, and more small buildings continue to the right. Two tall, bare tree trunks rise along the right edge, with a small “24” written at the upper right. — Fig. 34.10

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). *Village of Sandviken and Bridge of Lokke*, 1895. Pencil on paper; 11.5 × 20 cm (4 9/16 × 7 7/8 in.). Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. Giraudon / Bridgeman Images.

Technical Summary

Claude Monet’s Sandvika, Norway was painted on a pre-primed, no. 30 portrait (figure) standard-size linen canvas. The work appears to retain its original stretcher. A warp-thread match was detected with seven other Monet paintings from the Art Institute’s collection: The Petite Creuse River (1889; 1922.432 [W1231]) (cat. 25), Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer) (1890/91; 1985.1103 [W1269]) (cat. 27), Stacks of Wheat (End of Day, Autumn) (1890/91; 1933.444 [W1270]) (cat. 28), Stacks of Wheat (Sunset, Snow Effect) (1890/91; 1922.431 [W1278]) (cat. 29), Stack of Wheat (Thaw, Sunset) (1890/91; 1983.166 [W1284]) (cat. 32), Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist) (1897; 1933.1156 [W1475]) (cat. 36), and Water Lily Pond (1900; 1933.441 [W1628]) (cat. 37), suggesting that the fabric from these paintings came from the same bolt of material.^[24] The ground consists of a single, off-white layer. Charcoal was detected in one small area at the top edge of the painting; however, there was insufficient material to be able to suggest that this could relate to preparatory drawing. The painting has a textured surface with dense applications of paint used in the snow-covered areas and more open, textural brushstrokes used to build up the mountain, trees, and bridge. The presence of wet-over-dry paint applications throughout the composition indicates that the painting was carried out in more than one session. Most of the surface brushwork, on the other hand, was applied wet-in-wet. In general, the paint has a thick, viscous consistency. No changes to the composition as the painting was built up were detected.^[25]
13

Multilayer Interactive Image Viewer

The multilayer interactive image viewer is designed to facilitate the viewer’s exploration and comparison of the technical images (fig. 34.11).^[26]
14

Foreground shows a small dark arched bridge over a dark channel, with white snow covering the ground around it. In the middle area, several low buildings with long, sloped roofs are blanketed in white, set among leafless trees in light pink and lavender; muted red appears on some walls and window areas, and a taller bare tree rises on the right. Background features a large rounded hill in soft blue‑green filling much of the upper half, with a pale gray sky above. Colors are dominated by white, pale blue, lavender, and pink, with red accents. — Natural Light

Top area contains a large, dark, rounded shape in the center, surrounded by lighter gray patches. Across the middle, several horizontal, light-gray bars stretch left to right, separated by darker, speckled areas. The lower third shows a broad, curved dark band running across the width, with a thin, very light strip at the bottom; the right side features a large, irregular light-gray area extending toward the center. Colors are shades of gray, from near-white highlights to deep charcoal. — X-Ray

Foreground features a low, arched bridge spanning the lower center, its dark gray underside contrasting with pale surfaces. Across the middle, several buildings appear: a small house on the left, a long rectangular building with a row of small dark openings in the center, and a larger structure on the right partly obscured by a tall, leafless tree reaching toward the top edge. In the background, a broad hill rises across the scene. Colors are limited to white and light-to-medium gray, and no people or animals are discernible. — Infrared Reflectogram (1.0–1.1 µm)

At the top, a broad dark mountain shape fills the background in gray-blue and violet tones. Across the middle, several small buildings with light roofs and muted red sections line left to right, with a tall, bare tree on the right. In the foreground, a large dark arched bridge stretches across the bottom, with the smaller buildings set behind it. — Raking Light

Single black-and-white view shows a dark outer border surrounding two lighter rectangular panels divided by a wide, dark vertical bar. From top to bottom and left to right, the surfaces are mottled with gray specks and smudges; the left panel has a faint diagonal mark near the upper left and several darker spots mid-left, while the right panel shows clustered, jagged dark marks around the middle-right with a lighter patch above. Along the bottom edge, a soft dark arc stretches across both panels, darkest at the center. — Transmitted Infrared (1.0–1.1 µm)

Top area shows a dark blue‑gray sky and the broad shape of a wooded hill. Across the middle, pale snow‑covered buildings with small rectangular windows sit among bare trees, with faint red‑pink highlights along roofs and branches. In the foreground, a large dark arched bridge stretches from left to center with a simple railing, set above a lighter snow‑covered bank; the right side is lined with tall thin trees and a smaller roofed structure. Colors are mostly gray, blue, and white, with touches of soft red‑pink. — Transmitted Light

Across the top, a dark gray-blue sky sits over a rounded blue‑green wooded hill. In the middle, several low rectangular buildings stretch left to right, showing red walls and thick white snow on their roofs, with tall bare trees clustered to the right and smaller sheds and trees to the left. At the bottom, a wide arched bridge with a simple railing crosses a dark stream, spanning most of the lower edge, with snow-covered ground around it. — Ultraviolet

Fig. 34.11

Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895). The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790. Interactive image.

Signature

Signed and dated: Claude Monet 95 (lower left, in greenish-blue paint^[27]) (fig. 34.12). The signature and date were applied when the underlying paint layers were dry (fig. 34.13).
15

Top section shows a light gray-lavender background filling the frame. Across the middle, turquoise cursive text reads “Claude Monet 95,” extending from left of center toward the right side. Along the bottom edge is a thin, pale yellow band, and a narrow off-white strip lines the left edge. — Fig. 34.12

Detail of Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the signature. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top-left to bottom-right, a pale beige ridged surface fills the frame, crossed by several irregular patches and streaks of light to medium blue material. Near the lower left is a larger, leaf-shaped blue patch; thinner blue streaks and small droplets run toward the center and lower right, with another cluster near the upper right edge. The blue areas sit on top of the beige surface and are smaller than the surrounding background. A black scale bar at the bottom right reads 1.0 cm. — Monet 61.790 MIC 4

Top and most of the frame are solid black. Along the bottom, a thin horizontal band shows a light gray surface with a pale yellow edge, and turquoise cursive text reading “Claude Monet 95” stretches from left to right. Near the left-center of this band, a small black rectangular outline encloses part of one letter. The turquoise marks become slightly more spaced toward the right side. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.13

Photomicrograph of the signature of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing wet-over-dry paint application. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Structure and Technique

Support

Canvas
Flax (commonly known as linen).^[28]
16

Standard format
The original dimensions were approximately 72 × 91 cm. This corresponds closely to a no. 30 portrait (figure) standard-size canvas (90 × 73 cm), turned horizontally.^[29]
17

Weave
Plain weave. Average thread count (standard deviation): 23.4V (0.6) × 21.4H (0.6) threads/cm; the vertical threads were determined to correspond to the warp and the horizontal threads to the weft.^[30] A warp-thread match was found with seven other Monet paintings in the Art Institute’s collection: The Petite Creuse River (1889; 1922.432 [W1231]) (cat. 25), Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer) (1890/91; 1985.1103 [W1269]) (cat. 27), Stacks of Wheat (End of Day, Autumn) (1890/91; 1933.444 [W1270]) (cat. 28), Stacks of Wheat (Sunset, Snow Effect) (1890/91; 1922.431 [W1278]) (cat. 29), Stack of Wheat (Thaw, Sunset) (1890/91; 1983.166 [W1284]) (cat. 32), Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist) (1897; 1933.1156 [W1475]) (cat. 36), and Water Lily Pond (1900; 1933.441 [W1628]) (cat. 37).^[31]
18

Canvas characteristics
There is moderate cusping on the left and right sides, and milder and more even cusping along the top and bottom edges.
19

Stretching
Current stretching: Dates to aqueous lining applied prior to acquisition in 1961 (see Conservation History); tacks spaced 3–5 cm apart. It appears that some of the original tack holes were reused when the painting was restretched after lining; not all of the edges could be fully examined, however, due to the presence of paper edge strips.20

Original stretching: The majority of the original tack holes are spaced 4–5 cm apart. The cusping appears to correspond to the placement of the original tack holes.
21

Stretcher/strainer
Current stretcher: The current stretcher may be the original stretcher.^[32] It is a keyable wooden stretcher consisting of five members, with a vertical crossbar, and mortise and tenon joints (fig. 34.14). Depth: 2 cm.22

Original stretcher: See above.
23

Within a light brown rectangular frame, two large beige fabric panels sit side by side, separated by a dark brown vertical strip made of stacked segments. Near the upper middle of this strip is a small tan rectangle with faint writing, and the right panel shows a few small brown spots. Darker triangular tabs secure the fabric at the corners, and the surrounding frame looks scuffed and worn. — Fig. 34.14

Image of the back of Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the stretcher. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Manufacturer’s/supplier’s marks
None observed in current examination or documented in previous examinations.24

Preparatory Layers

Sizing
Not determined (probably glue).^[33]25

Ground application/texture
The ground extends to the edges of all four tacking margins, suggesting that the canvas was cut from a larger piece of primed fabric, which was probably commercially prepared. The ground consists of a single layer that measures 20 to 120 µm in thickness (fig. 34.15).
26

Top area is a wide, dark gray band. Below it runs a thin, uneven white layer that stretches left to right, slightly thicker near the center, with a jagged boundary to a thicker brown region underneath that has rough, layered textures and rounded forms. A scale marker at the lower left reads 100 µm. — Monet 61.490 x1362_10x_dkfld_d

A large black field fills most of the frame, with a small rectangular winter scene positioned on the right. From top to bottom of that scene: a pale gray sky and a blue‑green hill; below, white snow-covered rooftops with red building faces, and a cluster of bare light‑purple trees on the right. At the bottom, a dark arched bridge spans a narrow, snow-lined stream, with small red structures and snow in the foreground. — Sample Location

Fig. 34.15

Photomicrograph of a cross section of the ground and canvas layers of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895). Original magnification: 100×. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Color
The ground layer is off-white with some red and dark, possibly black, particles visible under magnification (fig. 34.16).
27

Top area shows a pale gray-beige, slightly bumpy surface with scattered tiny black specks. Left side has small light purple-gray chips, while the center and right show thin brown fibers and short dark streaks on the surface, with fine hairline cracks in several spots. A black horizontal scale bar labeled “2.0 mm” appears along the lower right edge. — Monet 61.790 MIC 8

Mostly black frame with a narrow horizontal strip along the bottom. In this strip, a textured off‑white to light blue‑gray area runs left to right; teal handwriting on the left reads “Claude Monet 95,” with three small teal marks toward the right. Near the lower center of the strip is a small white rectangle with a thin black border, and the black area occupies most of the overall space. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.16

Photomicrograph of the bottom edge of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing the ground layer. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Materials/composition
Analysis indicates that the ground contains lead white and calcium carbonate (chalk)^[34] with traces of bone black, iron oxide, alumina, silica, and various silicates.^[35] Binder: Oil (estimated).28

Compositional Planning/Underdrawing/Painted Sketch

Extent/character
No underdrawing was observed with infrared reflectography (IRR). One localized area of black particulate material, however, was observed microscopically near the top edge of the painting (fig. 34.17). The black particles lie directly over the ground layer and are partially covered by paint.
29

Top to bottom, a rough pale gray surface is covered with jagged, flaky patches of light purple, with gaps showing off‑white areas. Near the center is a small cluster of tiny black specks, and a thin brown strand curves along the upper right; most purple pieces are irregular and smaller than the 1.0 mm scale bar. A black line labeled 1.0 mm sits at the bottom right. — Monet 61.790 MIC 25

Top and middle areas are solid black. Along the bottom left, a pale scene shows thin tree branches reaching upward across a light gray background with soft lavender, pink, and light blue patches. Branches are tallest near the center, with sparser twigs on the left and a denser cluster toward the right edge. — Detail location

Fig. 34.17

Photomicrograph of the top edge of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing black particles underneath the paint layer. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Medium/technique
Charcoal.^[36]30

Revisions
Insufficient material was detected to be able to confirm whether the charcoal is part of an underdrawing campaign or whether it is an incidental accretion.31

Paint Layer

Application/technique and artist’s revisions
The painting was densely built up with thick, textural brushwork that often completely obscures the texture of the canvas weave (fig. 34.18, fig. 34.19). In localized areas—mainly along the borders of compositional forms—however, the ground layer remains visible (fig. 34.20). The painting is somewhat sketchy at the edges and the upper-left corner, where ground was also left exposed (fig. 34.21). At the upper-right corner, it appears that the artist applied some final touches of pale-pink to finish the edges (fig. 34.22). Although the thickly painted surface makes it difficult to gain a full sense of the buildup of the painting, it seems that the composition was laid in using gray and brownish tones that were thinly applied and show the texture of the canvas weave. These earliest paint layers remain visible occasionally on the surface and can be seen, for example, in the gray underlayer of the bridge (fig. 34.23). In this area, and elsewhere on the painting, it appears that the artist may have wiped the thin, fluid paint, removing it from the peaks of the canvas weave in places, before building up the painting. Bluish-gray tones were used to lay in the sky, and greenish-gray underlayers were observed in areas of foliage. For the initial painting, the artist used broader strokes and possibly also slightly wider brushes. This can be seen, for example, in the upper-right corner of the sky underneath the tree branches (fig. 34.24) and also in the undulating, zigzag strokes used near the peak of the mountain (fig. 34.25). The texture of these underlying strokes remains visible on the surface of the painting; they appear to have been dry when subsequent paint layers were applied on top, indicating that the painting was carried out in more than one session (fig. 34.26, fig. 34.27). The artist made no apparent alterations to the composition as the painting was worked up.
32

Fig. 34.18–34.27

Top portion shows mottled light blue and teal with soft, swirling shapes. Across the middle, a broad diagonal gray area with pale purple and green accents runs from left center toward the right, where it meets a horizontal white band. The lower area mixes light blue, gray, lavender, and pink with scattered green and blue streaks, forming irregular patches across the width. — Fig. 34.18

Detail of a building in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing thick textural brushwork. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top area shows pale blue, teal, and off-white swirls forming raised, wavy textures. In the middle, the swirls cluster and overlap in light blue and mint with small touches of lavender and pale pink. The bottom section continues the same curved shapes in sky blue and seafoam, filling the frame evenly from left to right. — Fig. 34.19

Detail of the mountain in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing thick textural brushwork. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top edge shows a wide band of dark gray and teal with small touches of brown running left to right; near the upper right are two small white patches. Below this, the center shifts into lighter teal and off-white. The lower half holds a large pale purple-white area rising from the bottom left toward the middle, while the bottom right has muted teal and gray with a small pale spot. — Fig. 34.20

Detail of the bridge in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing areas of exposed ground. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

A large field of very light gray fills the top and center. Along the bottom, a band of cool colors—light blue, teal, and pale lavender—forms rounded, clustered shapes that rise slightly toward the right edge. The colored band covers about the lower third, while the gray area occupies the remaining two-thirds. — Fig. 34.21

Detail of the upper left corner of Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing exposed ground along the edge. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top area shows soft, pale lavender and pink shapes on a light gray background. In the center, two narrow, branching forms rise upward with muted lavender, pink, light blue, and hints of mint green. The right side holds a denser cluster of lavender‑gray forms, while the left side is more open with lighter, diffuse shapes. The overall palette is light gray with touches of lavender, pink, blue, and green. — Fig. 34.22

Detail of the upper right corner of Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing pink paint added along the edges. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top edge shows a wide, curved band of green-blue with touches of gray and faint brown. Center area is mostly teal and gray with two small, irregular white patches and a tiny red speck nearby. Lower left holds a large pale lavender-white area that narrows toward the middle, while the lower right transitions into muted gray-blue. — Fig. 34.23

Detail of the bridge in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing a pale-gray underlayer. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Soft gray-violet field with irregular patches of pale pink, lavender, and light blue. From top left to bottom right, faint streaks and clusters of pink and blue are most concentrated near the center, with broader gray areas toward the upper right and lower right. The lower left has denser lavender areas, and small specks of light blue appear near the bottom edge. No recognizable objects or people are present. — Fig. 34.24

Detail of the sky in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the texture of underlying brushwork. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top area shows a light gray-blue textured surface with shallow, wavy ridges. In the center, pale blue and teal blend together with scattered small spots of bright blue, and a few thicker raised ridges run diagonally left to right. The bottom half continues the same palette with slightly deeper blue patches and several larger raised areas surrounded by finer grooves. — Fig. 34.25

Detail of the mountain in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing undulating brushstrokes. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

From top left to right, light gray and white areas with soft blue and pink patches fill the background. In the center, two tall, narrow tree trunks with thin branches run upward, teal-green with streaks of white; they are the largest elements and extend from the lower third toward the top. Behind them, broad angled white shapes appear slightly right of center, bordered by pale green and lavender. The lower section contains muted pink and gray bands with lighter patches. — Fig. 34.26

Detail of a building in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the buildup of the brushwork. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top two-thirds shows a wide field of pale gray with faint, wavy texture. The lower half contains clustered patches of light blue, teal, and touches of purple, forming many small, curved and overlapping shapes that concentrate toward the right. A thin vertical beige strip lines the far left edge. — Fig. 34.27

Detail of the horizon in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the buildup of the brushwork. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Most of the surface brushwork was applied wet-in-wet and consists of discrete, textured strokes and low impasto. For example, the mountain, which was built up from an initial lay-in of thinly applied strokes in various tones of gray, consists of an open network of short strokes of lead white–rich impasto applied wet-in-wet, with final touches of blue and green added when those thick brushstrokes were still wet (fig. 34.28). In the trees just below, similar blue and green strokes were used to delineate the branches (fig. 34.29). The heavy snow-covered areas in the foreground and on the roofs of the buildings consist of thicker, more-continuous paint layers with strokes worked wet-into-wet (fig. 34.30). The consistency of the paint seems quite viscous, almost stiff, particularly in these thickly applied areas (fig. 34.31). This is most evident in places where the paint has been drawn up by the brush in low peaks (fig. 34.32).^[37] In some of these thickly painted areas, numerous bubble holes were often observed (fig. 34.33). In several places, the surface of the painting looks like it has been pressed with a fibrous material (fig. 34.34, fig. 34.35); the resulting marks were made in the paint when it was still soft (fig. 34.36). It is difficult to say whether this was done intentionally (for example, to rough up the surface) or whether it is the result of a fabric having been pressed against the paint surface (e.g., from transporting or storing the work). It must have occurred at some point during the painting process since subsequent, higher-relief strokes adjacent to these areas were not affected (fig. 34.37).
33

Figs. 34.28–34.31

Top section shows pale blue and white swirls with a few mint-green streaks on a light blue field. Across the center, thicker ridges form looping shapes in light blue, teal, and white, with faint touches of pink and beige showing through. Toward the bottom and lower right, the swirls widen into larger arcs of blue and mint, with small darker blue patches scattered between them. — Fig. 34.28

Detail of the mountain in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing wet-in-wet paint application. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top third is mostly pale gray and white with patches of light blue and lavender. Center features a medium-width vertical shape in soft teal and blue, with thinner curved lines branching to both sides. Bottom third is a continuous band of muted pink and red stretching across the width. Small teal, blue, and violet marks are scattered through the middle area. — Fig. 34.29

Detail of a tree in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the buildup of the paint layers. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top area shows light gray and lavender with faint white shapes and a small patch of muted red near the upper center. Across the middle, several thin vertical and diagonal lines in pale green and gray intersect larger white, wedge-like forms. The lower half contains blended patches of light blue, gray, and tan, with more pale green lines continuing downward. Colors are mostly soft pastels—white, gray, pale green, light blue, and hints of pink and red. — Fig. 34.30

Detail of a building in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the thick brushwork. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Across the center, a large irregular white patch with wavy ridges covers most of the space from left to right. Surrounding it are pale blue and gray areas on the left, a pink section with a small green streak on the right, and faint light blue and light purple near the upper right. Along the bottom, a horizontal band of muted orange and gray runs across. — Fig. 34.31

Detail of a building in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the texture of the paint. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top-to-bottom, a pale gray surface with wavy ridges fills the scene, with three irregular blue-green streaks—one near the left edge, one just left of center, and one near the right edge. The colored areas taper and break into small segments, standing out against the surrounding light gray. At the bottom right, a black scale bar labeled 1.0 cm provides size reference; each colored streak is narrower than the bar. — Monet 61.790 MIC 1

Top area is solid black. Along the bottom, a narrow horizontal strip shows a light gray surface with teal-green cursive writing that is partly legible and ends with “95,” and a small black-outlined square highlights a mark near the start of the text on the left. A thin band of pale yellow runs along the lower edge, with faint blue‑gray areas just above it. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.32

Photomicrograph of the signature in Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing the thick, viscous paint texture. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top area shows a pale purple, wrinkled surface with many small grooves and tiny holes. Moving downward, the center has larger irregular cavities and ridges that run mostly left-to-right, with scattered tiny red and dark specks; the lower third continues the ridged texture with slightly wider bands. A black scale bar labeled 2.0 mm appears in the bottom right corner. — Monet 61.790 MIC 17

Top and right portions are solid black. In the lower-left quadrant, light blue and white areas cover a scene of many thin vertical lines like bare branches, with several red triangular and rectangular shapes behind them. Along the bottom edge, a pale green railing or fence runs left to right above a dark curved strip at the lower-right corner. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.33

Photomicrograph of the snow in Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing tiny bubble holes in the paint. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Close-up view of a rough, uneven surface with many fine, shallow grooves. From top to bottom, darker red patches and speckles give way to a pale lavender and gray center, with a small light blue spot just right of center, then shift to lighter pink and lavender near the bottom edge. Bottom right shows a scale bar labeled 5.0 mm, indicating a very small area. — Monet 61.790 MIC 13

Upper three-quarters is solid black. In the lower-left quarter, pale colors show a cluster of red shapes with slanted white tops arranged left-to-right, surrounded by light blue, green, and white patches with thin blue‑green vertical lines. Along the bottom edge, a narrow curved dark gray strip runs horizontally; the colored section occupies a small portion of the frame compared with the black area. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.34

Photomicrograph of the foliage in Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing the texture of the paint surface. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

From top to bottom, a light purple rough surface fills the frame, covered with irregular ridges, shallow grooves, and small pits; darker purple shadows appear in the deeper recesses. The center area has denser clusters of pits and a few broader depressions, while the left and right edges show more elongated, streak-like ridges. At the bottom right, a black scale bar labeled 2.0 mm provides size reference. — Monet 61.790 MIC 18

Top three-quarters is solid black. Along the bottom, a small rectangular scene (spanning the lower left toward the center) shows a snowy landscape with light blue and white ground and trees, and several red, blocky building shapes with pale roofs across the middle. A dark gray stream curves along the lower edge, and a low fence or bridge runs left to right near the bottom left; no people or animals are visible. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.35

Photomicrograph of the snow in Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing the texture of the paint surface. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.v

A textured surface fills the frame in pink, mauve, and gray tones. From left to right, a narrow bluish-gray strip lines the edge, the central area shows rose to reddish-pink bands with many short diagonal grooves, and the right side shifts to pale gray with tighter, shallow ridges. A black scale bar labeled 5.0 mm appears at the bottom right. — Monet 61.790 MIC 19

Left side contains a small, pale scene with thin tree trunks and branches in front of a light-colored building with a sloped roof. Colors are soft grays, whites, pale greens, and light blues, with a low red band near the bottom and a white ground. Right side, taking up most of the frame, is solid black. — Detail location

Most of the frame is solid black. In the lower-left quarter, a small rectangular scene shows a pale gray area at top and a short strip of red-orange vertical blocks along the far left. Across the center and bottom, mixed teal, green, and pink patches fill an open area, with a tiny black square near the lower edge. Along the right edge of this scene, a dark gray-purple band runs from the middle down to the bottom-right corner.

Fig. 34.36

Photomicrograph of a building in Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing the texture of the paint surface. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top area is light gray-white with faint streaks of teal and pale green. The middle is taken up by a large rough patch of pink to red that blends into lavender and light aqua toward the right edge, while the left side shows pale gray-lavender with thin teal lines. Along the bottom, pale gray continues with scattered touches of pink and a small bright blue dab; the surface appears uniformly ridged and textured. — Fig. 34.37

Detail of a building in Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing the texture of the brushwork. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

There is a narrow band of disturbed paint along the bottom edge of the painting, caused from something having been pressed against the paint while it was still wet. The area is approximately 1.0 cm wide and 50 cm long and is located approximately 1.0 cm from the bottom edge. Such a mark could be from an easel or some kind of transport case (fig. 34.38). The affected area of paint was dry when the date was applied on top. In several places around the edges of the composition, the paint looks flattened, as if the work had been framed while the paint was still soft (fig. 34.39, fig. 34.40).
34

Top area is mostly white with fine ridges. Center-left and center-right hold two teal curved marks, with the right mark slightly larger; a thin pale line runs diagonally from left center toward the right mark. Bottom edge shows an off-white band that shifts to light tan with a few small darker tan spots. — Fig. 34.38

Detail of the date of Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) showing a band of disturbed paint near the bottom edge of the painting, running underneath the upper part of the date. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Left side shows a vertical tan strip with fine dark lines and many small brown speckles. Moving right, a pale gray to lavender surface features raised streaks and smears of blue and purple, with several short curved ridges near the upper right and middle. Small speckles continue across the center, and the colored ridges appear thicker than the background texture. A 5.0 mm scale bar in the lower right indicates the features are very small. — Monet 61.790 MIC 12

Top three-quarters are solid black. The bottom-left quadrant shows a cluster of irregular, soft-edged shapes in white, light blue, pink, and mint green, with patches of muted red. Along the lower edge of this colored area, a thin, curved dark gray band is visible, with a faint horizontal green line just above it. A small black rectangular mark appears on the left edge near the colored section, while the rest of the frame remains black. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.39

Photomicrograph of the left edge of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing a band of flattened paint. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

From left to right, a textured surface appears in pale purple and gray with fine ridges and small pits, and a small raised chip near the upper left. A narrow vertical crease runs down the center. Along the right edge, a tan strip with many small dark dots borders the purple area. A scale bar at the bottom right reads 5.0 mm. — Monet 61.790 MIC 20

Upper left contains a winter scene: a pale gray sky above a building with a white sloped roof, partly hidden by several thin, leafless trees with white patches on their trunks. From left to right across the lower area runs a low red wall, with white snow covering the ground in front. Colors are mostly soft grays, whites, muted green-blue, and red, while the remaining space to the right and bottom is solid black and empty. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.40

Photomicrograph of the right edge of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing a band of flattened paint. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Traces of a thin, dark-blue line are visible intermittently around the edges of the painting. The line appears to have been executed with paint, which was very lightly applied and deposited only on the high points of the canvas weave (fig. 34.41). It is present, at least intermittently, on all four sides. It seems to lie directly on top of the ground layer just outside the borders of the painted composition. In one place it appears to continue over an area of loss in the ground layer (fig. 34.42). It is uncertain when the line was applied and what its function was.^[38]
35

Top area shows a rough, pale purple surface. A narrow off-white horizontal band sits across the middle. Below it, a tan to dark brown zone has a line of small blue-green specks, darker brown blotches, and fine cracks. A scale bar in the upper right reads 5.0 mm, indicating the view spans only a few millimeters. — Monet 61.790 MIC 26

Tall, thin trees with bare branches stand in the foreground, their trunks and limbs streaked with white. Behind them sits a small building with a pale white sloped roof, partly hidden by the trees. Colors are muted grays, lavender, light blue, and green, with a horizontal band of dull red near the lower third and a white ground along the bottom. The scene occupies the left side, with the remaining right side blank black. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.41

Photomicrograph of the right edge of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing an intermittent blue line. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Top edge includes a 2.0 mm scale bar. From top to bottom, a pale beige surface with fine cracks is dotted with irregular dark brown patches, with small blue-green specks mainly across the middle and right side and fewer on the left. Some brown areas have shiny highlights, and features range from tiny specks to clusters smaller than the 2.0 mm scale bar. — Monet 61.790 MIC 28

Left side shows a wintry scene: three thin tree trunks rise from the bottom center with white on the branches. Behind them is a small building with a white sloped roof, a red band along the lower wall, and muted green areas around it; above is a pale gray sky with faint blue and pink. The ground at the bottom is white, and the right two-thirds of the overall frame are solid black. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.42

Photomicrograph of the right edge of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing an intermittent blue line. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Painting tools
Brushes, including 0.5 and 1.0–1.5 cm wide, flat ferrule (based on width and shape of brushstrokes). Many brush hairs are embedded in the paint surface.36

Palette
Analysis indicates the presence of the following pigments: lead white, chrome yellow, vermilion, red lake, emerald green, viridian, cobalt blue, and ultramarine blue.^[39] The presence of a pale-to-bright-pink fluorescence under ultraviolet light indicates that the artist used red lake throughout the work.^[40] Small white clusters were observed in some lead white–rich areas of the painting (fig. 34.43).
37

Across the frame is a pale gray-lavender, uneven surface covered with tiny pits, short grooves, and scattered red specks. From top left to bottom right, shallow ridges run diagonally, with a few thin dark strands near the upper center and several slightly larger indentations toward the lower left. A black scale bar labeled 2.0 mm sits at the bottom right. — Monet 61.790 MIC 21

Most of the frame is solid black. In the lower-left quarter, a pale gray rectangular area contains faint branching shapes in soft purple, pink, and light blue that rise from the bottom toward the center. Along the right edge of this area is a thin beige edge with a small dark gray square slightly above center. — Detail Location

Fig. 34.43

Photomicrograph of the upper right edge of Monet’s Sandvika, Norway (1895) showing small white clusters in the paint. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Binding media
Oil (estimated).^[41]38

Surface Finish

Varnish layer/media
The painting was cleaned in 2007 and left unvarnished (see Conservation History). The painting has a soft, relatively matte surface. There are some yellowed varnish residues in the recesses of the paint texture.39

Conservation History

A 1962 examination report states that the painting was already lined with an aqueous adhesive at that point^[42] and had a yellowed varnish layer. The report also mentions the presence of “toning” in areas where glue adhesive had collected on the paint surface.^[43]40

In 1962, the painting was cleaned to remove yellowed varnish. A spray coat of polyvinyl acetate (PVA) AYAA and methacrylate L-46 was applied. The painting was reframed, and the back was sealed with Mylar.^[44]41

In 2007, the AYAA/methacrylate coating and surface grime were removed. Minor inpainting was carried out at the lower right corner. The painting was left unvarnished.^[45]42

Condition Summary

The painting is in good condition. The canvas is lined with an aqueous adhesive and is stretched taut on the stretcher. There are some light undulations at the lower-left and lower-right corners. There is general wear and abrasion on the tacking edges, which are partially covered with paper strips. The adhesive used to attach the paper strips has contracted and pulled up the ground layer in places. The tacking edges are dirty and yellowed from the adhesive used to attach the paper edge strips. The paint layer is secure with only a few tiny, old losses down to the canvas. Cracking is minimal and, where present, is very fine. It is mainly limited to a few areas of thickly applied, lead white–rich paint. There is some retouching around the edges and at a few small areas of loss within the composition. The retouching is slightly mismatched. The painting is currently unvarnished. There are a few areas of yellowed varnish residues in the recesses of the paint texture.

Kimberley Muir
43

Frame

Current frame (installed in 2008): The frame is not original to the painting. It is an Italian, second-half-of-the-seventeenth-century, Salvator Rosa, cavetto frame with a stepped ogee sight. The frame is gilded with silver leaf over yellowish–raw sienna bole on gesso. The gilding is slightly burnished and retains its original Mecca varnish finish and glue size. The back flat edge of the frame was not gilded and is painted with raw sienna. The frame is made of poplar, with applied mitered back, front, and sight moldings on a half-lapped cassetta base. The molding, from perimeter to interior, is fillet; scotia; fillet; torus; stepped ogee; and cove (fig. 34.44).^[46]
44

At the top, a pale gray sky hangs over a rounded blue‑green hill. Across the middle, a cluster of snow‑covered buildings sits among bare trees; the largest long building has two small dark marks on its white roof and a row of red accents along its side, with smaller red‑and‑white structures nearby. In the foreground, an arched bridge crosses a narrow stream beside a snowy bank and railing. Colors are mostly white, gray, and light blue with soft green and light purple tones, plus touches of red on the buildings. — Fig. 34.44

Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) in its current frame. The Art Institute of Chicago, 1961.790.

Previous frame (installed by 1975; removed in 2008): The work was previously housed in an American, mid-twentieth-century reproduction of a seventeenth-century, Spanish, gilt, architrave frame with stylized-leaf molding and bead-and-bobbin sight molding with an independent linen-covered liner (APF Inc., New York) (fig. 34.45).^[47]
45

On a tan wall, three gold-framed pictures hang side by side with small black labels. Left to right: the first shows a dark hill rising above white ground; the middle shows a cluster of pale buildings and a bridge in front of a hill, with bare trees and white ground; the right shows a wide stretch of gray-blue water with a low, white shoreline under a muted sky. All three are similar in size and spaced evenly across the wall. — Fig. 34.45

Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) in a previous frame, installed in *Paintings by Monet*, Art Institute of Chicago, Mar. 15–May 11, 1975. Institutional Archives, Art Institute of Chicago.

Kirk Vuillemot
46

Donated by the artist to the Alfred Sisley Sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, May 1, 1899, lot 65.^[48]47

Sold at the Alfred Sisley Sale, Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, May 1, 1899, lot 65, to Durand-Ruel, Paris, for 6,300 francs.^[49]48

Sold by Durand-Ruel, Paris, to Durand-Ruel, New York, Oct. 24 or Nov. 13, 1900.^[50]49

Sold by Durand-Ruel, New York, to Mrs. John Jay (Harriet Blair) Borland, Chicago, Feb. 13, 1901, for $3,500.^[51]50

By descent from Mrs. John Jay (Harriet Blair) Borland (died 1933), Chicago, to her son, Bruce Borland.51

Given by Bruce Borland, Chicago, to the Art Institute, beginning in 1961.^[52]
52

Paris, Galeries Durand-Ruel, Exposition de tableaux de Claude Monet, May 10–31, 1895, cat. 29, as Village de Sandviken (Temps de neige) or cat. 30, as Village de Sandviken.^[53]53

Boston, Copley Society, Loan Collection of Paintings by Claude Monet and Eleven Sculptures by Auguste Rodin, Mar. 1905, cat. 90, as Village de Sandriken [sic], Pres [sic] Christiania, 1895, lent by Mrs. John Jay Borland.^[54]54

Art Institute of Chicago, Treasures of Chicago Collectors, Apr. 15–May 7, 1961, no cat. no.55

Høvikodden, Norway, Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter, Impresjonismen 100 år, Nov. 1974–Jan. 1975, cat. 10 (ill.).56

Art Institute of Chicago, Paintings by Monet, Mar. 15–May 11, 1975, cat. 94 (ill.). (fig. 34.46)
57

On a tan wall, three gold‑framed landscape paintings hang side by side. From left to right: a dark mountain with white snow against a pale sky; a snowy village with a red bridge, bare trees, and a mountain behind; and a wide gray‑blue body of water with a low snowy shoreline under a muted sky. All three are similar in size, with small black wall labels between the frames and the floor visible along the bottom edge. — Fig. 34.46

Installation of Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) in *Paintings by Monet*, Art Institute of Chicago, Mar. 15–May 11, 1975. Institutional Archives, Art Institute of Chicago.

Paris, Centre Culturel du Marais, Claude Monet au temps de Giverny, Apr. 6–July 17, 1983, cat. 30 (ill.).^[55]58

Tokyo, Seibu Museum of Art, Shikago bijutsukan insho-ha ten [The Impressionist tradition: Masterpieces from the Art Institute of Chicago],Oct. 18–Dec. 17, 1985, cat. 60 (ill.); Fukuoka Art Museum, Jan. 5–Feb. 2, 1986; Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Mar. 4–Apr. 13, 1986.59

Nagaoka, Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Shikago bijutsukan ten: Kindai kaiga no 100-nen [Masterworks of modern art from the Art Institute of Chicago], Apr. 20–May 29, 1994, cat. 17 (ill.); Nagoya, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, June 10–July 24, 1994; Yokohama Museum of Art, Aug. 6–Sept. 25, 1994.60

Art Institute of Chicago, Claude Monet, 1840–1926, July 22–Nov. 26, 1995, cat. 107 (ill.). (fig. 34.47)
61

In the foreground, a long, low wooden bench sits on a herringbone-patterned brown wood floor. Across the middle from left to right, dark brown gallery walls hold several medium-sized, gold-framed paintings with small rectangular labels beside them and short silver stanchions in front. In the background, open doorways lead to adjacent rooms where additional gold-framed works are visible, all under dim overhead lighting. — Fig. 34.47

Installation of Monet’s *Sandvika, Norway* (1895) in *Claude Monet, 1840–1926*, Art Institute of Chicago, July 22–Nov. 26, 1995. Institutional Archives, Art Institute of Chicago.

Copenhagen, Ordrupgaard, Monet in Norway, Jan. 26–Apr. 8, 1996, no cat. no. (ill.).62

Stockholm, Nationalmuseum, Impressionism and the North: Late 19th Century French Avant-Garde Art and Art in the Nordic Countries, 1870–1920, Sept. 25, 2002–Jan. 19, 2003, cat. 149 (ill.); Copenhagen, Statens Museum for Kunst, Feb. 21–May 25, 2003.63

Fort Worth, Tex., Kimbell Art Museum The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago, June 29–Nov. 2, 2008, cat. 84 (ill.).
64

Galeries Durand-Ruel, Paris, Exposition de tableaux de Claude Monet, exh. cat. (E. Moreau, 1895), cat. 29 or cat. 30.^[56]65

“Atelier Alfred Sisley,” La chronique des arts et de la curiosité, 19 (May 13, 1899), p. 172.66

Copley Society, Boston, Loan Collection of Paintings by Claude Monet and Eleven Sculptures by August Rodin, exh. cat. (Copley Society, 1905), p. 27, cat. 90.67

Oscar Reuterswärd, Monet: En konstnärshistorik (Bonniers, 1948), p. 207, fig. 97.68

Art Institute of Chicago, Treasures of Chicago Collectors, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago, 1961), n. pag.69

Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge/Monet in Norway; 1. Februar–1. April 1895, trans. C. Wood (Sonja Henies og Niels Onstads Stiftelse, 1974), p. 17 (ill.).70

Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter, Impresjonismen 100 år, with a foreword by Ole Henrik Moe, exh. cat. (Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter, 1974), front cover (ill.), p. 4, cat. 10.71

Grace Seiberling, “The Evolution of an Impressionist,” in Paintings by Monet, ed. Susan Wise, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago, 1975), p. 35.72

Susan Wise, ed., Paintings by Monet, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago, 1975), p. 151, cat. 94.73

Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1989 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), pp. 184; 185, cat. 1397 (ill.); 282, letter 1276; 300, pièce justificative 131.74

Joel Isaacson, Claude Monet: Observation and Reflection (Phaidon/Dutton, 1978), pp. 9; 42; 159, pl. 114; 224–25, no. 114.75

J. Patrice Marandel, The Art Institute of Chicago: Favorite Impressionists Paintings (Crown, 1979), pp. 62–63 (ill.).76

Jacqueline Guillaud and Maurice Guillaud, Claude Monet au temps de Giverny, exh. cat. (Centre Culturel du Marais, [1983]), pp. 110–12, fig. 60/cat. 30. Translated as Claude Monet at the Time of Giverny, exh. cat. (Centre Culturel du Marais, [1983]), pp. 110–12, fig. 60/cat. 30.77

Art Institute of Chicago, Seibu Museum of Art, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, and Fukuoka Art Museum, eds., Shikago bijutsukan insho-ha ten [The Impressionist tradition: Masterpieces from the Art Institute of Chicago], trans. Akihiko Inoue, Hideo Namba, Heisaku Harada, and Yoko Maeda, exh. cat. (Nihon Nippon Television Network, 1985), pp. 120, cat. 60 (ill.); 121, cat. 60 (detail); 159, cat. 60 (ill.).78

Charles F. Stuckey, ed., Monet: A Retrospective (Hugh Lauter Levin, 1985), p. 214, pl. 86.79

Michael Howard, Monet (Brompton, 1989), pp. 119, 161 (ill.).80

Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Catalogue raisonné, vol. 5, Supplément aux peintures: Dessins; Pastels; Index (Wildenstein Institute, 1991), pp. 50, 117.81

Art Institute of Chicago, Treasures of 19th- and 20th-Century Painting: The Art Institute of Chicago, with an introduction by James N. Wood (Art Institute of Chicago/Abbeville, 1993), p. 124 (ill.).82

Marianne Alphant, Claude Monet in Norway, trans. Maev de la Guardia (Hazan, 1994), pp. 39 (ill.), 42.83

Art Institute of Chicago and Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Shikago bijutsukan ten: Kindai kaiga no 100-nen [Masterworks of modern art from the Art Institute of Chicago],exh. cat. (Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994), pp. 76–77, cat. 17 (ill.).84

Edward Hirsch, “Illuminations: Four Writers Visit the Art Institute and Transform Paintings into Poetry and Prose,” Chicago Tribune Magazine, Sept. 25, 1994, p. 26 (ill.).85

Russell Ash, ed., Impressionists’ Seasons (Pavillion, 1995), p. 79 (ill.).86

Andrew Forge, Monet, Artists in Focus (Art Institute of Chicago, 1995), pp. 49–50; 92, pl. 21.87

Charles F. Stuckey, with the assistance of Sophia Shaw, Claude Monet, 1840–1926, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago/Thames & Hudson, 1995), pp. 128, cat. 107 (ill.); 227; 231; 237.88

Sylvie Patin, “‘Some Absolutely Amazing Snow Effects, but Exceptionally Difficult to Capture,’” in Monet i Norge/Monet en Norvege/Monet in Norway, ed. Karin Hellandsjø, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), pp. 76, 179 (ill.).89

Daniel Wildenstein, Monet, or The Triumph of Impressionism, cat. rais., vol. 1 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), pp. 300 (ill.), 306.90

Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vol. 3, Nos. 969–1595 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), pp. 578–80, cat. 1397 (ill.).91

Ordrupgaard, Monet in Norway, trans. James Manley and Joan Fuglesang, exh. cat. (Ordrupgaard, 1996), p. 38 (ill.).92

Paul Hayes Tucker, “A Frenchman in the Fjords: Monet’s Norwegian Campaign in 1895,” in Ordrupgaard, Monet in Norway, trans. James Manley and Joan Fuglesang, exh. cat. (Ordrupgaard, 1996), p. 29, n2.93

Art Institute of Chicago, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism in the Art Institute of Chicago, selected by James N. Wood (Art Institute of Chicago/Hudson Hills, 2000), p. 152 (ill.).94

Norio Shimada and Keiko Sakagami, Kurōdo Mone meigashū: Hikari to kaze no kiseki [Claude Monet: 1881–1926], vol. 2 (Nihon Bijutsu Kyōiku Sentā, 2001), pp. 94, no. 222 (ill.); 190.95

Karin Hellandsjø, “Monet and Norway,” in Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, and Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Impressionism and the North: Late 19th Century French Avant-Garde Art and the Art in the Nordic Countries, 1870–1920, ed. Torsten Gunnarsson and Per Hedström, exh. cat. (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2002), pp. 253, cat. 149 (ill.); 259.96

James A. Ganz and Richard Kendall, The Unknown Monet: Pastels and Drawings (Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute/Yale University Press, 2007), p. 167, fig. 146.97

Joseph Baillio and Cora Michael, “Chronological and Pictorial Survey of The Life and Career of Claude Monet,” in Wildenstein and Co., Claude Monet (1840–1926): A Tribute to Daniel Wildenstein and Katia Granoff, exh. cat. (Wildenstein, 2007), p. 168.98

Gloria Groom and Douglas Druick, with the assistance of Dorota Chudzicka and Jill Shaw, The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago, exh. cat. (Art Institute of Chicago/Kimbell Art Museum, 2008), pp. 164 (detail); 165, cat. 84 (ill.). Simultaneously published as Gloria Groom and Douglas Druick, with the assistance of Dorota Chudzicka and Jill Shaw, The Age of Impressionism at the Art Institute of Chicago (Art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2008), pp. 164 (detail); 165, cat. 84 (ill.).^[57]
99

Documentation from the Durand-Ruel Archives

Inventory number
Stock Durand-Ruel Paris 5186
Paris Stock Book 1891–1901^[58]100

Photograph number
Photo Durand-Ruel Paris 1341^[59]101

Inventory number
Stock Durand-Ruel New York 2391
New York Stock Book 1894–1905^[60]102

Labels and Inscriptions

Undated

Label
Location: stretcher
Method: handwritten label
Content: 7129 Monet (fig. 34.49)
104

Top to bottom, a light brown textured surface fills the background, with a narrow beige woven strip along the far left edge. In the center is a worn, dark brown rectangular label with a thin red border; its top and right edges are torn. Faint brown handwriting runs left to right across the label, with some characters hard to read (the left side shows marks resembling 7, 1, 2, 9), and a tiny hole appears near the middle. — Fig. 34.49

Label
Location: stretcher
Method: handwritten label
Content: No 4 [?] Village de Sandviken / pres Christiania (fig. 34.50)
105

A rectangular brown surface with wood-like grain and scuffs fills the frame, bordered by darker brown edges. Near the top center, a cluster of small off‑white specks appears under a slightly darker band. Faint purple handwriting stretches left to right across the middle and most of the width, but the words are not clearly legible. Along the bottom edge, a thin tan strip with fine ridges runs horizontally. — Fig. 34.50

Inscription
Location: stretcher (written on paper strip, with other paper remnants on top)
Method: handwritten script
Content: Borland 5 [encircled] [. . .]19[. . .] (fig. 34.51)
106

Top area shows a pale gray surface with irregular scraped patches and two small round holes, one near the center and another slightly to its right. Right side has darker gray streaks and scuffs, while the left side has small dents and chipped spots. Bottom band features faint handwritten marks in gray, including a long cursive word stretching left to center, a circled “5” near the center-right, and small numerals near the far right. Overall colors are shades of gray, black, and white. — Fig. 34.51

Number
Location: stretcher
Method: handwritten script
Content: 1961.790 (fig. 34.52)
107

From left to right, black handwritten numerals read 1961.790 across the center, with a small dot between 1961 and 790. The background is tan with a fine, slightly speckled surface and faint vertical lines. The digits are medium-sized and evenly spaced, occupying much of the middle area, and no other elements are present. — Fig. 34.52

Label
Location: frame
Method: printed label
Content: Arnold Wiggins & Sons / Limited / 4 Bury Street / St. James’s / London SW1 / Picture Frame Makers / Carvers and Gilders / [emblem at left] BY APPOINTMENT / TO H. M. QUEEN ELIZABETH II / PICTURE FRAME MAKERS / [emblem at right] BY APPOINTMENT / TO H. M. QUEEN ELIZABETH / THE QUEEN MOTHER / PICTURE FRAME MAKERS (fig. 34.53)
108

Top to bottom: a cream-colored folded card shows ornate black script reading “Arnold Wiggins & Sons Limited.” Beneath, smaller lines list “4 Bury Street, St James’s, London SW1,” with a small crown emblem on each side that has tiny, hard-to-read text underneath. The lower section, folded outward, displays large script: “Picture Frame Makers, Carvers and Gilders.” The card rests against a medium-brown wooden surface with a small gold-colored metal piece at the bottom edge. — Fig. 34.53

Label
Location: backing board
Method: printed label with typewritten script
Content: THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO / artist Claude Monet / title Sandvika Norway / medium cat # 13 / credit crate # 20 / acc. # 1961.790 (fig. 34.54)
109

White rectangular label with rounded corners on a light beige background, printed in black. Top center reads THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO in large uppercase letters. Below, left-aligned lines state: artist Claude Monet; title Sandvika Norway; medium cat # 13; credit crate # 20; acc. # 1961.790. — Fig. 34.54

Label
Location: stretcher
Method: printed label with handwritten script and green-ink inventory stamp
Content: THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO / CHICAGO ILLINOIS 60603, U.S.A. / To Monet, Claude / Sandvika, Norway / 1961.790
Stamp: Inventory—1980–1981 (fig. 34.55)
110

White rectangular label on a gray textured surface, read top-to-bottom. Top line in black: “THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO,” with “CHICAGO ILLINOIS 60603, U.S.A.” beneath it and a small hole near the left edge. Below two thin black lines, the left side shows “To” followed by blue handwriting: “Monet, Claude Sandvika, Norway 1961.790.” Right side has teal text underlined: “Inventory – 1930 – 1981.” — Fig. 34.55

Label
Location: backing board
Method: printed label
Content: “Impressionismen og Norden” / 34 / Claude Monet / Sandviken, Norge / 73,4 × 92,5 cm / The Art Institute of Chicago (fig. 34.56)
111

A light gray rectangular placard with rounded corners shows black text on a pale background. From top to bottom, the lines read: “Impressionismen og Norden”, “34”, “Claude Monet”, “Sandviken, Norge”, “73,4 x 92,5 cm”, and “The Art Institute of Chicago”. The text is left aligned with wide blank space to the right and below. — Fig. 34.56

Pre-1980

Label
Location: stretcher
Method: printed label with handwritten script
Content: Please fill in and stick on the back of picture. / Title. Sandviken, Norway / Name and address of owner. / Mrs. John Jay Borland / 2027 Prairie Ave / Chicago / Where to be sent for. / [blank] / Where to be returned to. / Dr. Brien [Pa . . . ? (or) Fa. . .?] / [. . .] Wabash Ave. Chicag[o] / [. . .] state as nearly as possible when the pictur[e . . .] (fig. 34.57)
112

Brown paper label with printed fields and faded handwritten entries fills most of the frame; a strip of beige textured fabric appears along the far left next to a vertical tear. From top to bottom, printed text reads “Please fill in and stick on the back of picture,” followed by lines for title, name and address of owner, where to be sent for, and where to be returned to; cursive writing in dark brown ink is mostly illegible, with “Chicago” clearly readable. Colors are tan and brown with darker ink, and the paper shows frayed edges along the left and bottom. The label occupies nearly the full height and most of the width. — Fig. 34.57

Label
Location: stretcher
Method: printed label with handwritten script
Content: DURAND-RUEL / PARIS, 16, Rue Laffitte / NEW-YORK, 389, Fifth avenue / C. Monet No5186[?] / Sandviken pres / Christiania / mosss. (fig. 34.58)
113

A dark brown rectangular label sits centered on a medium-brown, wood‑grained surface, occupying most of the frame; it shows scuffs and small tears, especially along the left edge and near the center. Across the top, black printed text reads “DURAND-RUEL,” with smaller lines below: “PARIS, 16, Rue Laffitte” and “NEW YORK, 389, Fifth avenue,” though some letters are worn. In the lower half, faded dark cursive includes “C. Monet” underlined and a date-like “1886,” with other words mostly illegible. — Fig. 34.58

Post-1980

Stamp
Location: stretcher
Method: green-ink stamp
Content: Inventory—1980–1981 (fig. 34.59)
114

Top to bottom, a uniformly peach and pink, finely textured surface fills the frame. Across the center runs a faint, thin horizontal line of gray text, slightly darker than the background; the letters are blurred and not clearly readable. The left and right edges show the same texture with no distinct objects. The view is very close, making the texture appear as small, repeating dots. — Fig. 34.59

Label
Location: backing board
Method: printed label with green sticker
Content: [Logo] JAPAN / YAMATO TRANSPORT CO.,LTD. / FINE ARTS DIVISION / EXHIBT. JAPAN 94’ / シカゴ美術館展 [Shikago (Chicago) Bijutsukan ten] / CASE NO. 20 / CATAL. NO. [green sticker] 17 (fig. 34.60)
115

Fig. 34.60

Label
Location: backing board
Method: printed label
Content: The Art Institute of Chicago / “Claude Monet: 1840–1926” / July 14, 1995–November 26, 1995 / Catalog: 107 / Sandvika, Norway / Village de Sandviken sous la neige / The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Bruce Borland / (1961.790) (fig. 34.61)
116

Fig. 34.61

Label
Location: frame
Method: printed label with handwritten script
Content: Arnold Wiggins & Sons / Treated for woodworm / Method: Thermo Lignum / Date: 29.2.08 (fig. 34.62)
117

Rectangular white label centered on a brown wooden surface. From top to bottom, black printed text reads “Arnold Wiggins & Sons” and “Treated for woodworm,” followed by “Method:” and “Date:” with gray handwritten entries. The handwriting reads “Thermo Lignum” after “Method:” and “29.2.08” after “Date:”. — Fig. 34.62

Examination and Analysis Techniques

X-radiography

Westinghouse X-ray unit, scanned on Epson Expressions 10000XL flatbed scanner. Scans digitally composited by Robert G. Erdmann, University of Arizona.118

Infrared Reflectography

Inframetrics Infracam with 1.5–1.73 µm filter; Fujifilm S5 Pro with X-Nite1000B/2 mm filter (1.0–1.1 µm).119

Transmitted Infrared

Fujifilm S5 Pro with X-Nite1000B/2 mm filter (1.0–1.1 µm).120

Visible Light

Natural-light, raking-light, and transmitted-light overalls and macrophotography: Fujifilm S5 Pro with X-NiteCC1 filter.121

Ultraviolet

Fujifilm S5 Pro with X-NiteCC1 filter and Kodak Wratten 2E filter.122

High-Resolution Visible Light (and Ultraviolet)

Sinar P3 camera with Sinarback eVolution 75H (PECA 918 UV/IR interference cut filter and Kodak Wratten 2E filter).123

Microscopy and Photomicrographs

Sample and cross-sectional analysis using a Zeiss Axioplan2 research microscope equipped with reflected light/UV fluorescence and a Zeiss AxioCam MRc5 digital camera. Types of illumination used: darkfield, differential interference contrast (DIC), and UV. In situ photomicrographs with a Wild Heerbrugg M7A StereoZoom microscope fitted with an Olympus DP71 microscope digital camera.124

X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF)

Several spots on the painting were analyzed in situ with a Bruker/Keymaster TRACeR III-V with rhodium tube.125

Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM)

Zeiss Universal research microscope.126

Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDX)

Cross sections analyzed after carbon coating with a Hitachi S-3400N-II VP-SEM with an Oxford EDS and a Hitachi solid-state BSE detector. Analysis was performed at the Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center, Electron Probe Instrumentation (EPIC) Center facility.127

Automated Thread Counting

Thread count and weave information were determined by Thread Count Automation Project software.^[62]128

Image Registration Software

Overlay images registered using a novel image-based algorithm developed by Damon M. Conover (GW), John K. Delaney (GW, NGA), and Murray H. Loew (GW) of the George Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.^[63]129

Image Inventory

The image inventory compiles records of all known images of the artwork on file in the Conservation Department, the Imaging Department, and the Department of Medieval to Modern European Painting and Sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago (fig. 34.63).
130

Fig. 34.63
Location/Negative #	Format	Purpose	Date	Lighting, Notes
C26344	8 × 10 B&W negative		Unknown
Conservation	35 mm color slide		Unknown	Normal, overall, framed (2 total)
Conservation	35 mm color slide	Midtreatment	Unknown	Normal, overall; partially cleaned
E17733	Digital		Mar. 16, 1989	Normal, overall
G26341	Digital	Posttreatment	Feb. 13, 2007	Normal, overall
G28195	Digital	Loan/publication	Feb. 7, 2008	Normal, overall
G28196	Digital	Loan/publication	Feb. 7, 2008	Normal, detail
132313	Digital	Loan exam	Nov. 2008	Annotated image G26341
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 26, 2010	Normal, overall (recto and verso)
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 26, 2010	Raking light, overall (4 total)
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 26, 2010	Ultraviolet, overall (2 total)
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 26, 2010	Infrared (Fuji, 1000B/2 mm filter), overall (recto and verso)
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 26, 2010	Macro details (14 total)
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 26, 2010	Normal and infrared; detail images of verso, labels (16 total)
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 26, 2010	X-ray films scanned/digitally composited, overall
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 27, 2010	Transmitted light, overall (3 total)
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 27, 2010	Transmitted infrared (Fuji, 1000B/2 mm filter), overall (2 total)
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 27, 2010	Infrared (Inframetrics, 1.5–1.73 µm filter), overall
Conservation	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 30, 2010	Photomicrographs of surface (28 total)
G40209–G40228	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 1, 2012	Sections (20 total)
G39058	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 2, 2012	Normal, overall; composite of G40209–G40228
G39060	Digital	OSCI	Apr. 4, 2012	Normal, frame only
G39059	Digital	OSCI	Sept. 11, 2012	Ultraviolet, overall

Notes

Sandvika, Norway (W1397) corresponds to Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vol. 3, Nos. 969–1595 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), pp. 578–80, cat. 1397 (ill.). The Art Institute currently uses a title based on the name of the municipality in Norway where Monet painted this picture, which changed its name to Sandvika from Sandviken in 1917; see transcribed telephone call from Helen Dahlstrom, Norwegian Consulate General’s Office, Nov. 7, 1972, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago. The painting had the following titles during the lifetime of the artist:
May 10, 1895: Village de Sandviken (Temps de neige) or Village de Sandviken (Galeries Durand-Ruel, Paris, Exposition de tableaux de Claude Monet, exh. cat. [E. Moreau, 1895], cat. 29 or cat. 30; as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago. See also Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vol. 3, Nos. 969–1595 [Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996], pp. 578–80, cat. 1397 [ill.]).
May 1, 1899: Sandviken, village près Christiania (Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, Catalogue de tableaux, études, pastels par Alfred Sisley et de tableaux, aquarelles, pastels et dessins offerts à ses enfants par les artistes, sale cat. [Galerie Georges Petit, May 1, 1899], p. 35, lot 65.
May 2, 1899: Sandviken, village près Christiania (Durand-Ruel, Paris, stock book for 1891–1901 [no. 5186]; see Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago).
Nov. 13, 1900: Sandviken, Norway (Durand-Ruel, New York, stock book for 1894–1905 [no. 2391]; see Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago).
Mar. 1905: Village de Sandriken [sic], Pres [sic] Christiania (Copley Society, Boston, Loan Collection of Paintings by Claude Monet and Eleven Sculptures by August Rodin, exh. cat. [Copley Society, 1905], p. 27, cat. 90).
This essay benefits greatly from publications including Marianne Alphant, Claude Monet: Une vie dans le paysage (Hazan, 1993); Marianne Alphant, Claude Monet in Norway, trans. Maev de la Guardia (Hazan, 1994); Karin Hellandsjø, “Monet and Norway,” in Impressionism and the North: Late 19th Century French Avant-Garde Art and the Art in the Nordic Countries, 1870–1920, ed. Torsten Gunnarsson and Per Hedström, exh. cat. (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2002), pp. 244–59; Sylvie Patin, “‘Some Absolutely Amazing Snow Effects, but Exceptionally Difficult to Capture,’” in Monet i Norge, ed. Karin Hellandsjø, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), pp. 69–78; and Paul Hayes Tucker, “A Frenchman in the Fjords: Monet’s Norwegian Campaign of 1895,” in Ordrupgaard, Monet in Norway, trans. James Manley and Joan Fuglesang, exh. cat. (Ordrupgaard, 1996), pp. 13–30. Monet’s letters from Norway are compiled and translated in Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge.
The numbers preceded by a W refer to the Monet catalogue raisonné; see Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vols. 1–4 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996).
These paintings can be found in Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vol. 3, Nos. 969–1595 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), pp. 577–87, cats. 1393–1418. According to Wildenstein, Monet only sold three other Norwegian paintings between about 1919 and 1924.
Karin Hellandsjø, “Monet Is Coming!” in Monet i Norge, ed. Karin Hellandsjø, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), pp. 37–39; Hellandsjø, “Monet and Norway,” in Impressionism and the North: Late 19th Century French Avant-Garde Art and the Art in the Nordic Countries, 1870–1920, ed. Torsten Gunnarsson and Per Hedström, exh. cat. (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2002), pp. 246–47; Oscar Reuterswärd, “Monet,” reprinted in Charles F. Stuckey, ed., Monet: A Retrospective (Hugh Lauter Levin/Scribner, 1985), pp. 166–73; and Paul Hayes Tucker, “A Frenchman in the Fjords: Monet’s Norwegian Campaign of 1895,” in Ordrupgaard, Monet in Norway, trans. James Manley and Joan Fuglesang, exh. cat. (Ordrupgaard, 1996), pp. 14–16.
There is a warp-thread match with The Petite Creuse River (cat. 25 [W1231], inv. 1922.432), Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer) (cat. 27 [W1269], inv. 1985.1103), Stacks of Wheat (End of Day, Autumn) (cat. 28 [W1270], inv. 1933.444), Stacks of Wheat (Sunset, Snow Effect) (cat. 29 [W1278], inv. 1922.431), Stack of Wheat (Thaw, Sunset) (cat. 32 [W1284], inv. 1983.166), Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist) (cat. 36 [W1475], inv. 1933.1156), and Water Lily Pond (cat. 37 [W1628], inv. 1933.441). Stacks of Wheat (Sunset, Snow Effect) and The Petite Creuse River have a Troisgros Frères canvas stamp on the verso, suggesting that that supplier was the source of all the canvases. The numbers preceded by a W refer to the Monet catalogue raisonné; see Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vols. 1–4 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996).
Monet to Alice Monet, Feb. 3, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 155; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 279, letter 1265.
Monet to Alice Monet, Feb. 9, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 156; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 280, letter 1266.
Monet to Alice Monet, Feb. 11 and Feb. 13, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 157; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 280, letters 1267–68.
Monet to Alice Monet, Feb. 11, 1895; quoted in Sylvie Patin, “Some Absolutely Amazing Snow Effects, but Exceptionally Difficult to Capture,’” in Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 69; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 280, letter 1267.
On March 20, 1895, for example, Monet wrote to Alice: “In short, my work is confined to the afternoons and to one particular motif, which I have painted a dozen times and as I find it difficult to catch any of these dozen light effects a second time, I transform them, and the following day the effect I am looking for returns. It is a good deal of effort to very little purpose. The further I come the more I realize that I should have arrived earlier and stayed longer.” See Monet to Alice Monet, Mar. 20, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 167; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 284, letter 1286.
Monet to Alice Monet, Feb. 15, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 158; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 280, letter 1269.
Monet to Alice Monet, Feb. [24], 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 160; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 281, letter 1272. According to Wildenstein, Monet mistakenly dated the letter “Dimanche soir, 23 février.”
Monet to Blanche Hoschedé, Mar. 1, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 163; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 282, letter 1276.
Monet to Blanche Hoschedé, Mar. 1, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 163; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 282, letter 1276.
Joel Isaacson, Claude Monet: Observation and Reflection (Phaidon, 1978), pp. 224–25. Among others, see Karin Hellandsjø, “Monet and Norway,” in Impressionism and the North: Late 19th Century French Avant-Garde Art and the Art in the Nordic Countries, 1870–1920, ed. Torsten Gunnarsson and Per Hedström, exh. cat. (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 2002), p. 258; Sylvie Patin, “‘Some Absolutely Amazing Snow Effects, but Exceptionally Difficult to Capture,’” in Monet i Norge, ed. Karin Hellandsjø, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 73; and Paul Hayes Tucker, Claude Monet: Life and Art (Yale University Press, 1995), pp. 156–57. For more on the influence of Japanese art on Monet, see National Gallery of Australia, Monet and Japan, exh. cat. (National Gallery of Australia/University of Washington Press, 2001). For the influence of Japanese art on Impressionism more generally, see Karin Breuer, Japanesque: The Japanese Print in the Era of Impressionism, exh. cat. (Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco/Delmonico/Prestel, 2010).
Paul Hayes Tucker, “A Frenchman in the Fjords: Monet’s Norwegian Campaign of 1895,” in Ordrupgaard, Monet in Norway, trans. James Manley and Joan Fuglesang, exh. cat. (Ordrupgaard, 1996), pp. 22–23.
Paul Hayes Tucker, “A Frenchman in the Fjords: Monet’s Norwegian Campaign of 1895,” in Ordrupgaard, Monet in Norway, trans. James Manley and Joan Fuglesang, exh. cat. (Ordrupgaard, 1996), p. 23.
Monet to Blanche Hoschedé, Mar. 1, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 162; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 282, letter 1276.
Paul Hayes Tucker, Monet in the ’90s: The Series Paintings, exh. cat. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston/Yale University Press, 1989), p. 175.
Monet did mention to Durand-Ruel that he was planning to make adjustments to the paintings before exhibiting them: “Here I am, home at last. I shall rest for a day or two and then start at once putting things in order and finishing the paintings I intend to exhibit… . p.s. I am not too dissatisfied with what I have brought back.” See Monet to Paul Durand-Ruel, Apr. 7, 1895; translated in Karin Hellandsjø, ed., Monet i Norge, exh. cat. (Rogaland Kunstmuseum/Musée Rodin, 1995), p. 170; original French in Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné, vol. 3, Peintures, 1887–1898 (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1979), p. 285, letter 1291.
Translated in John House, “Monet: The Last Impressionist?,” in Paul Hayes Tucker with George T. M. Shackelford and MaryAnne Stevens, Monet in the 20th Century, exh. cat. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston/Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1998). The original interview was undertaken by Henri Bang and is quoted in Jean-Pierre Hoschedé, Claude Monet, ce mal connu, 2 vols. (Pierre Cailler, 1960), vol. 2, p. 112.
The number preceded by D refers to drawings in the Monet catalogue raisonné; see Daniel Wildenstein, Claude Monet: Catalogue raisonné, vol. 5, Supplément aux peintures: Dessins; Pastels; Index (Bibliothèque des Arts, 1991).
For further discussion, see Kimberley Muir, Inge Fiedler, Don H. Johnson, and Robert Erdmann, “Thread Count, Weave, and Ground Analysis of Claude Monet’s Vieille & Troisgros/Troisgros Frères canvases in the Art Institute of Chicago,” in Painting Techniques: History, Materials and Studio Practice (Rijksmuseum, forthcoming). The numbers preceded by a W refer to the Monet catalogue raisonné; see Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vols. 1–4 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996).
For an overview of the materials and methods of Claude Monet’s paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago, see Kimberley Muir, Inge Fiedler, Don H. Johnson, and Robert G. Erdmann, “An In-depth Study of the Materials and Technique of Paintings by Claude Monet from the Art Institute of Chicago,” ICOM-CC 17th Triennial Meeting Preprints, Melbourne, Sept. 15–19, 2014 (forthcoming).
Using the toolbar at the bottom right, any two images of the painting may be selected for comparison by clicking the layers icon to the right of the slider bar. The slider bar may be moved to transition back and forth between the two chosen images. The jagged line icon brings up a list of available annotations, or colored lines that show the significant features visible in each image, which may be turned on or off in any combination. For example, the red annotation lines, associated with the natural-light image, trace some of the painting’s key compositional features. When overlaid onto a technical image (X-ray, raking light, UV, etc.), the red outlines help the viewer to better observe how features in the technical image relate to or diverge from the painting as seen with the naked eye. (When annotations are turned on, a legend appears in the upper right showing each color and its associated image type.) The circular arrow icon returns the image to the default settings (natural light, full-image view, natural-light [red] annotation on). The four-arrow icon toggles between the view of the image in the page and a full-screen view of the image. In the upper right corner, the vertical slider bar may be moved to zoom into or out of the image; different parts of the image can be accessed by clicking and dragging within the image itself. The icon in the upper left corner opens a small view of the full image, within which a red box indicates the portion of the overall image being viewed when zooming is enabled.
XRF analysis, in conjunction with microscopic examination of the painting surface, indicates that the paint mixture contains lead white and viridian; blue and red pigment particles were also observed microscopically but were not detected in the area analyzed. See Kimberley Muir, “Mon_Sandvika_61_790_XRF_Results,” Dec. 13, 2010, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
Flax was confirmed by microscopic cross-sectional fiber identification; see Inge Fiedler, “1961_790_Monet_analytical_report,” May 5, 2014, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
See, for example, chart of standard sizes available from Bourgeois Aîné in 1888, reproduced in David Bomford, Jo Kirby, John Leighton, and Ashok Roy, Art in the Making: Impressionism, exh. cat. (National Gallery, London/Yale University Press, 1990), p. 46, fig. 31. The original dimensions were based on a visual estimate of the original foldovers. Small discrepancies between the measured dimensions and standard sizes may be a result of this approximation, as well as other factors such as restretching of the painting after lining.
Thread count and weave information determined by Thread Count Automation Project software; see Don H. Johnson and Robert G. Erdmann, “Thread Count Report: Claude Monet, Sandvika, Norway (W1397/1961.790),” Nov. 2011.
This suggests that these canvases were cut from the same bolt of fabric. See Don H. Johnson, “Weave Match Report: Claude Monet, W1231, W1269, W1270, W1278, W1284, W1397, W1475, W1628,” Apr. 2011. For further discussion, see Kimberley Muir, Inge Fiedler, Don H. Johnson, and Robert Erdmann, “Thread Count, Weave, and Ground Analysis of Claude Monet’s Vieille & Troisgros/Troisgros Frères canvases in the Art Institute of Chicago,” in Painting Techniques: History, Materials and Studio Practice (Rijksmuseum, forthcoming). The numbers preceded by a W refer to the Monet catalogue raisonné; see Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vols. 1–4 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996).
The construction, patina, and labels suggest that the stretcher is original or that it was added early in the painting’s lifetime.
The presence of a sizing layer is difficult to determine from cross sections due to previous conservation treatments, including aqueous lining.
Microfossils were identified by PLM and SEM/EDX. See Inge Fiedler, “1961_790_Monet_analytical_report,” May 5, 2014, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
Traces of magnesium, aluminum, and silicon were detected in association with the calcium particles and are believed to be impurities often associated with the chalk. The ground composition was analyzed using SEM/EDX, PLM, and XRF. For more detailed results and conditions used, see Inge Fiedler, “1961_790_Monet_analytical_report,” May 5, 2014; Inge Fiedler, “1961_790_Monet_PLM_results,” Nov. 11, 2013; Kimberley Muir, “Mon_Sandvika_61_790_XRF_Results,” Dec. 13, 2010, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
Charcoal was identified by PLM. See Inge Fiedler, “1961_790_Monet_PLM_results,” Nov. 11, 2013, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
It is likely that the cold, out-of-doors environment impacted the handling qualities of Monet’s paints and how he manipulated them.
Monet’s Houses of Parliament, London (1900–01; 1933.1164 [W1600]) (cat. 41) displays a similar intermittent blue line around the edges of the painting. In that case, however, the line appeared to conform to the cusping of the canvas, indicating that it was applied before the painting was mounted on the stretcher, possibly as a guide to cutting or positioning the canvas on the stretcher.
The pigments were identified by the following methods: lead white, vermilion, emerald green, viridian, cobalt blue (PLM, XRF); chrome yellow, red lake, ultramarine blue (PLM). PLM analysis highlighted the presence of pale-red and deeper-red particles of red lake, suggesting that two different types may be present. Analysis was carried out on selected areas and may not include all pigments present in the painting. For more detailed results and conditions used, see Inge Fiedler, “1961_790_Monet_analytical_report,” May 5, 2014; Inge Fiedler, “1961_790_Monet_PLM_results,” Nov. 11, 2013; Kimberley Muir and Arnaud Lubin, “Mon_Sandvika_61_790_XRF_Results,” Dec. 13, 2010, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
Identifying the specific type of lake used only by its fluorescence under UV is difficult, as many factors, including the type of substrate, binders, varnishes, and admixtures with other pigments, can ultimately affect the perceived color of the fluorescence. Some types of madder and purpurin lake pigments have been reported to fluoresce orange, but other lakes, such as lacs, may fluoresce as well. The characteristics of red lakes, including their fluorescence under UV, are discussed in Helmut Schweppe and John Winter, “Madder and Alizarin,” in Artists’ Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics, ed. Elisabeth West FitzHugh, vol. 3 (National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1997), pp. 124–26. See also Ruth Johnston-Feller, Color Science in the Examination of Museum Objects: Nondestructive Procedures (Getty Conservation Institute, 2001), p. 207.
The binding medium was not analyzed. The estimation of an oil medium is based on visual examination, as well as on knowledge of Monet’s technique and published analyses of Monet paintings in other collections. See, for example, David Bomford, Jo Kirby, John Leighton, and Ashok Roy, Art in the Making: Impressionism, exh. cat. (National Gallery, London/Yale University Press, 1990), pp. 72–75.
The lining was probably carried out prior to the painting’s acquisition in 1961.
See Alfred Jakstas, examination report, Apr. 17, 1962, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
See Alfred Jakstas, treatment report, June 1, 1962, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
See Faye Wrubel, treatment report, Jan. 16, 2007, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
Kirk Vuillemot, “Monet Frame Descriptions Final,” Dec. 3, 2013, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
Kirk Vuillemot, “Monet Frame Descriptions Final,” Dec. 3, 2013, on file in the Conservation Department, Art Institute of Chicago.
See Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, Catalogue de tableaux, études, pastels par Alfred Sisley et de tableaux, aquarelles, pastels et dessins offerts à ses enfants par les artistes, sale cat. (Galerie Georges Petit, May 1, 1899), p. 35, lot 65, as Sandviken, village près Christiania.
See Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, Catalogue de tableaux, études, pastels par Alfred Sisley et de tableaux, aquarelles, pastels et dessins offerts à ses enfants par les artistes, sale cat. (Galerie Georges Petit, May 1, 1899), p. 35, lot 65, as Sandviken, village près Christiania. The transaction is recorded in the Durand-Ruel,Paris, stock book for 1891–1901 (no. 5186, as Sandviken près Christiania): “Purchased by DR Paris (stock 5186) on 2 [sic] May 1899 at the Sisley sale for 6 300 F / Stock DR Paris no. 5186; photo no. 1341”; as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago. According to Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vol. 2, Nos. 1–968 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), pp. 578–80, cat. 1397 (ill.), the picture was sold on May 1, 1899, to Durand-Ruel and Bernheim-Jeune. There are two copies of this sales catalogue,annotated differently with prices and names, at the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie. One includes a notation of 6000 and Bernheim, along with a note: “tout à fait exquise”; the other only includes a notation of 6.000. See photocopies of both versions of the sales catalogue in the curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago. See also “Atelier Alfred Sisley,” La chronique des arts et de la curiosité 19 (May 13, 1899), p. 172; which lists the sale price as 6.000. The difference in price is likely due to the five percent buyers fee charged on all auction sales; see Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, Catalogue de tableaux, études, pastels par Alfred Sisley et de tableaux, aquarelles, pastels et dessins offerts à ses enfants par les artistes, sale cat. (Galerie Georges Petit, May 1, 1899), p. 4.
The Paris and New York Durand-Ruel stock books give different dates for the sale. The Paris stock book for 1891–1901 states: “Sold to DR New York (no. 5186, as Sandviken près Christiania) on 24 October 1900.” The New York stock book for 1894–1905 states: “Purchased by DR New York (no. 2391, as Sandviken, Norway) on 13 November 1900 as Sandviken, Norway,” as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago.
The transaction is recorded in the Durand-Ruel, New York, stock book for 1894–1905 (no. 2391, as Sandviken, Norway): “Sold to Mrs. J. J. Borland on 13 February 1901 for $3 500,” as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago.
The painting was given to the Art Institute of Chicago in undivided fractional interests beginning in 1961. The Art Institute received the final fractional interest for one hundred percent ownership in 1963.
The Art Institute’s painting was “Probably exhibited at DR in Paris, May 10th–31st 1895: Exposition Claude Monet, as no. 29 or no. 30,” as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago. Daniel Wildenstein (Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis,vol. 2, Nos. 1–968(Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), pp. 578–80, cat. 1397 (ill.), identified the Art Institute’s painting as cat. 29, Village de Sandviken (Temps de neige).
There is a label on the verso of the painting that likely corresponds to this exhibition.
See Jacqueline and Maurice Guillaud, Claude Monet at the time of Giverny, exh. cat. (Centre culturel du Marais, 1983), which lists the exhibition dates as April 6–July 31, 1983.
The Art Institute’s painting was “Probably exhibited at DR in Paris, May 10th–31st 1895: Exposition Claude Monet, as no. 29 or no. 30,” as confirmed by Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago. Daniel Wildenstein, Monet: Catalogue raisonné/Werkverzeichnis, vol. 2, Nos. 1–968 (Taschen/Wildenstein Institute, 1996), pp. 578–80, cat. 1397 (ill.), identified the Art Institute’s painting as cat. 29.
The latter was republished as Gloria Groom and Douglas Druick, with the assistance of Dorota Chudzicka and Jill Shaw, The Age of French Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Art Institute of Chicago, rev. and expanded ed. (Art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2010; repr. 2013), pp. 180 (detail); 181, cat. 97 (ill.).
See Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago.
See Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago.
See Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel and Flavie Durand-Ruel, Durand-Ruel Archives, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 5, 2013, curatorial object file, Art Institute of Chicago.
The label is located on the verso of the painting, on the stretcher.
See Don H. Johnson, C. Richard Johnson, Jr., Andrew G. Klein, William A. Sethares, H. Lee, and Ella Hendriks, “A Thread Counting Algorithm for Art Forensics,” 2009 IEEE Thirteenth Digital Signal Processing and Fifth IEEE Signal Processing Education Workshop (IEEE, 2009), pp. 679–84; doi:10.1109/DSP.2009.4786009.
See Damon M. Conover, John K. Delaney, Paola Ricciardi, and Murray H. Loew, “Towards Automatic Registration of Technical Images of Works of Art,” in Computer Vision and Image Analysis of Art II, ed. David G. Stork, James Coddington, and Anna Bentkowska-Kafel, Proc. SPIE 7869 (SPIE/IS&T, 2011), doi:10.1117/12.872634.

How to Cite

Entry by Jill Shaw; Technical Report by Kimberley Muir and Kirk Vuillemot, “Cat. 34 Sandvika, Norway, 1895,” in Monet Paintings and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago, ed. Gloria Groom and Jill Shaw, rev. ed. (2014; repr., Art Institute of Chicago, 2026), https://doi.org/10.53269/9780865592698/24.

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