Camille Monet in the Garden at Argenteuil

In the 1860s and 70s, Monet struggled through a time when the French art establishment dismissed his paintings and those of his fellow Impressionists. As heroes often do, Monet held fast to his deep belief in his work and continued to hone his craft. In 1876 he would paint no fewer than ten canvasses depicting his rented house and garden at Argenteuil. In June of that year, Monet declared he was working on "a series of rather interesting new things." One of these was, undoubtedly, the stand of hollyhocks that dominates the painting above, shimmering in the sunshine and shadow of mid-day. It is this play of light, color and the suggestion of movement - the impression that the scene had on the painter - that lies at the very heart of Monet's genius.