In 1871, after Monet’s first trip to London (where he studied the landscape art work of Turner and Constable) the artist moved his family to the sailing town of Argenteuil; located just a short train ride outside of Paris upon the River Seine. During the eight years he spent there Monet produced almost one hundred and seventy oil paintings depicting scenes around the town, his family and friends. Pleasure Boat Argenteuil is a reproduction of an Monet’s Pleasure Boat, Argenteuil created in 1872 – The original of which is part of the Monet Collection at the Musee d'Orsay.

This picturesque village was a notable source of inspiration for Monet: A place where his passions were cultivated. Indeed, some of Monet’s most recognized paintings depict the town of Argenteuil: Particularly the Sailboat Regatta compositions which Argenteuil was internationally renowned for. Not only is this oil painting a wonderful example of Monet’s early experiments with light and color – and so the development of Impressionism: It is a beautifully serene composition that would add relaxed style to the modern home.

Claude Monet is regarded as the leader if not founder of the Impressionist movement. His experimentation with light and color threw aside tradition and paved the way for modern art. Indeed, no modern art collection is complete without a Claude Monet.