The Mornings on the Seine series is different from the exuberant Impressionism of Monet’s earlier sunset from Etretat (also in the Museum's collection). Both are scenes of his home province of Normandy, but the color range in the later paintings is more limited, and the brushwork is thinner and softer, creating a more subtle texture. The format of the river views is almost square, giving them an abstract quality. It was at about the same time that Monet began to create the famous paintings of the Japanese bridge over his water-lily pond, which share the format and mood of the Mornings on the Seine. While some of the artist’s later works are increasingly bold, this painting exemplifies Monet at his most poetic and introspective.