A summer day and Monet's art

This weekend, I was at a pub by the Cherwell river and it was a wonderful sunny day. The picture above was clicked there. I found a shady spot to sit and enjoy the scenery. But if the seeming solitude in this photo gives the impression that there was no one around, that is a wrong impression. 

The place was teeming with people. And after all this time of being housebound and in seclusion, it was a delight to watch. There were people on boats, those who were swimming and those like me, who were just hanging around. They actually reminded me of this Monet painting I had posted a while on my Instagram page. It is titled Bathers at La Grenouillere (see below), though I had to look hard to find the bathers.

But the boats got my attention immediately, partly because they are so obviously there and partly because it is punting season! The piece of art brings the joy of summer front and centre. It looks like a beautiful day, the boats are ready to be rowed, there are people around chatting and taking strolls and their is rich greenery all around. As always there is Monet's signature play of light and shadow, which adds to the texture of the painting. Apparently, it is there at the National Gallery, which is a good reason to visit it now that we can!

If you, like me, have not had enough of this summer vision though, here is another one. Called Bain a La Grenouillere (see above), this is another one in the same series of paintings. This is obvious from the name, La Grenouillere, a resort not far from Paris. This one has a similar vibe, but is clearly from a different angle. The summer still comes through, though.

If you would like to see my photos and art I like as I post it on Instagram, you can follow me @manika_ps and if you would like to follow this blog's account specifically it is @eclectic__think (there is double underscore in the name here, because of technical issues).