Most likely painted in 1873 at the port of Monet’s native Le Havre on the Normandy coast, this picture conjures an overcast day not with the expected palette of grays but with a range of blues, purples, greens, and muted pinks. These unblended pigments are laid down in parallel strokes to create the illusion of ripples in the water and the effect of masts backlit against the cloudy sky. Unblended strokes of color like these would become one of the hallmarks of Monet’s mature Impressionist style.
More ...1880, probably sold by the artist to Durand-Ruel, Paris (stock no. 1234) and sold by Durand-Ruel shortly thereafter [see note 1]. March 16, 1893, sold by Erwin Davis (b. ca. 1831 - d. 1902), New York, to Durand-Ruel, New York (stock no. 1032); May 28, 1897, sold by Durand-Ruel to Denman Waldo Ross (b. 1853 - d. 1935), Cambridge, MA; 1906, gift of Denman Waldo Ross to the MFA. (Accession Date: March 8, 1906)
NOTES:
[1] According to a letter from Durand-Ruel et Cie. to the MFA (April 18, 1962; in MFA curatorial file).
