Researchers Solve Mystery of When Monet Painted 'Impression, Sunrise'

A team of scientists, including engineers, astrophysicists, archivists, and art historians, has solved a major mystery surrounding Claude Monet's "Impression, Sunrise." They determined the likely time the artist began painting the iconic work: 7:35 a.m. on November 13, 1872.

The painting, which gave Impressionism its name, depicts the port of Le Havre at dawn. It is considered one of the most important works of the movement and is housed at the Musée Marmottan in Paris. Researchers meticulously reconstructed the circumstances of its creation.

Their investigation involved analyzing Monet's own manuscripts, Napoleonic cadastral plans, and old commercial almanacs. They also conducted geographic-astronomical analysis, reviewed meteorological data, tide tables, and the angle of sunlight at sunrise. Physicist and astronomer Professor Donald W. Olson noted that the sun in the painting appears only 2 to 3 degrees above the horizon, suggesting it was painted 20 to 30 minutes after sunrise. The sun's azimuth further helped narrow down the possible month.

While the exact day was initially uncertain, Olson's analysis indicated Monet began painting very early, between 7:35 and 8:10 a.m. This interdisciplinary approach has finally shed light on the precise moment this seminal artwork came into being.