Is London more beautiful in the fog?

As I stop by the painting of the ‘Houses of Parliament’, I’m drawn by the air of mystery around it. I wonder what it must be like to see the mist over the Thames , illuminated by the rays of the setting sun. There must be something special about the city, which inspired the French impressionist artist Monet to create a series of artwork , especially focussing on the Waterloo bridge and the Charing Cross Bridge – amidst the fog. I am at the special Monet exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler Museum, Basel (Switzerland) and cannot resist revisiting his London fog paintings, over and over again. It is interesting to see how travel inspires art and art inspires travel. Isn’t it?

 

 

London, sometimes referred to as the ‘City of Dreams’, has inspired a lot of art, literature and hundreds of songs through the years. Interestingly, it was also called ‘The Big Smoke’ due to the rise in the pollution levels, especially in the 1890’s. But, as they say ‘ Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’ , and the rawness of London , with the characteristic fog, caught the attention of quite a few artists including Monet , inspiring him to visit the city on multiple occassions.

 

Oscar-Claude Monet was  born in Paris in 1840 , grew up in Normandy and lived in Paris for some time, where he set up his studio in Pigalle, the Montmartre area.  He is known as the founder  of the Impressionist Movement. He first happened to visit London when Napoleon declared war against Prussia. Along with protection, London offered him the opportunity to create more art and reach a wider audience. Together with some other French artists, Monet started painting views of the city , fascinated by the light and colours. However, he returned to France soon after and settled in Giverny, outside Paris, where his gardens became the subject of his paintings. If you visit Paris, you can take a day trip to Giverny to see Monet’s gardens. They were also briefly shown in the movie ‘Midnight in Paris’. There are some half day as well as full day tours available too, if you prefer, such as this in-depth tour by Context Travel. Several of his paintings depicting the river Siene , the iconic water lillies and Giverney can be seen at Fondation Beyeler.

 

Lost in art..amidst Monet's waterlillies at @fondationbeyeler Basel. Claude Monet was a famous French artist born in 1840 in France and is known as one of the founders of the Impressionism movement. Fondation Beyeler Museum is currently holding a special exhibition to showcase some of his best works. Honestly,I did not know much about him earlier but am so glad to have visited this exhibition and taken an audio guide.It's so very interesting to get an insight into history,society and culture by looking at art from different eras and finding out about when,why and how the artist came up with the idea- what influenced them, how the society impacted this work or what struggles they faced during this period. If you happen to visit Basel anytime and like art,I recommend visiting this museum. I could spend my Sunday with Monet and Picasso and am really happy about it ❤How was your weekend? Comment below and let me know! – #sharetravellerstales #emptybeyeler #monet #lovebasel #artwork #monetsgarden #artmuseum #museumlover #impressionism #beyeler20

A post shared by Menorca@EuropeDiaries (@menorca_c) on Feb 12, 2017 at 9:44am PST

Interestingly, the paintings depicting Charing Cross and Waterloo bridges in the fog were not created during Monet’s first visit, but only after he happened to visit the city 30 years later. It was because his son,Michel, who studied in London, fell ill that Monet’s family went to visit him in London. They stayed at the luxurious Hotel Savoy , which had a perfect view over the Thames , the Charing Cross and Waterloo bridges. Monet subsequently visited London on more occassions to create art and shifted his base to St.Thomas’ Hospital to paint the House of Parliament. He was intrigued by the history as well as the modernity of the city, which is what he portrayed in his work.

 

 

Monet’s art can be seen in several museums around the world, but until May 2017, Fondation Beyeler Museum is exhibiting 62 of his paintings from major European, American and Japanese museums to mark the 20th anniversary of the museum. “The exhibition will be a celebration of light and color”, showcasing Monet’s impressionist art as well as his popular work from the later part of his life, including Mediterranean landscapes,  Atlantic coastal scenes, meadows, cathedrals and more. If you plan to visit Switzerland anytime soon, do stop by our lovely city of Basel and spend time visiting a few of the 40 museums in the city, including the Fondation Beyeler. You can also combine hiking and art while crossing the Swiss-German borders.

I have only visited London once, that too in the summer, but reading about Monet’s experience and his thoughts on London’s fog make me want to visit London in the winter too. I decided to ask some London locals what they feel about London’s fog and here is what they say –

 

Living in London, the beauty is that you walk a lot around the city with the high rise and historical buildings poking up around every corner. In the fog , London to me is even more beautiful. Get up at sunrise and watch as the colours change as the sun rises and fog begins to lift. I remember walking along Waterloo bridge once in the fog – it was an early morning and I was on my way to a meeting on Southbank. It was very odd as the fog was thick and you could barely see to the other side. As I walked about half way, I could hear music. The odd thing is that Londoner’s just keep on walking with stern faces in their black coats, walking quickly and not paying any attention.  Looking across the bridge, the River Thames was a greyish blue and you could see parts of the city from a far poking out of the fog. It’s these times I remember about London – perhaps because in the fog, more of your senses come to life and you notice more of your surroundings. London is a fantastic place to live, with so many diversities – every day is different, but perhaps even more stunning in the fog when we get to see it in a new and different light.

-Katie from Taking on the City

 

As London’s fog settles into the city covering its streets and bridges like a blanket from the past, I can’t help but think of the fog that Monet captured in his Houses of Parliament paintings in 1903. His paintings capture the fog in the same way that I often experience it–moody and murky, with the tall towers ominously penetrating the blanket of fog. If I’m lucky enough to be crossing Waterloo bridge on an early morning when the fog covers the city, I notice that with each step I take towards the Houses of Parliament, each jagged steeple becomes clearer. It’s as if the blanket is being pulled up…just enough to let a toe deep in slumber slip out into the chilly morning air. As I walk by, I glance over my shoulder into the distance; reminiscing at that brief moment, now in the past. London needs it’s fog, just as much as it needs London.

– Eulanda from Hey Dip Your Toes In

 

What do you think about literary and artistic references to London in the fog, Paris in the rain and the overall idea of art inspiring travel? Have you lived in either of these cities or perhaps visited them? Comment below and let me know. Do share the post with anyone who loves art, travel or London!

Note: All the information about Monet’s life has been taken from the exhibition brochure and mainly from the exhibition Catalogue published by Hatje Cantz Verlag. You can buy the catalogue at the Fondation Beyeler Museum website or even buy other related books at the online Art Shop.

I was invited to visit the museum but all opinions and feelings expressed are entirely my own.

 

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Featured image by MsSaraKelly – Flickr

 

 

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