During his only visit to Venice with his wife Alice, the French impressionist Claude Monet started ‘San Giorgio Maggiore by Twilight’, oil on canvas, 25.7 × 36.4 inches in 1908. Awestruck by the skyline of the Venetian Island, Monet painted six variations of this scene using rich hues composed of exquisite strokes that emulate vibrant movement. After his departure from Venice, Monet brought back many unfinished canvases to his hometown Giverny, France.

Eventually, triggered by his beloved wife’s death in 1911, these incomplete works were finished in 1912 followed by a grand exhibition at the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery in Paris. This painting was purchased by the Welsh art collector Gwendoline Davies and she later donated it to the National Museum in Cardiff, Wales. Monet had also painted the famous variations of Rouen Cathedral and Haystacks in the 1890s and houses of parliament during the early 1900s. — M. S. K.