Boulevard des Capucines

A closer look

From above, the passers-by become tiny dark strokes, the trees a pinkish haze and the carriages quick dabs of paint. Monet did not describe individuals but the sensation of a busy city, the flicker of movement and winter light. On the right, two men in top hats lean out of a window, watching the scene as we do. A critic of the time complained about the “black tongue-lickings” standing for people, but the picture captures modern urban life with new freshness.