Two monumental stacks of wheat rise from a sunlit field, their conical forms dominating the foreground and breaking the horizon line against a hazy sky. The larger stack sits to the right, its surface catching warm pinks, ochres, and hints of violet, while the smaller stack stands to the left, bathed in cooler shadows and surrounded by patches of green and lavender. Loose, visible brushstrokes sweep across the canvas, blending the stacks into their environment and suggesting the shimmering effects of late summer light.

The field itself is rendered with dabs and streaks of color—pale blues, greens, and soft yellows—that evoke the play of sunlight and the texture of cut grass. Behind the stacks, a band of trees and shrubbery stretches horizontally, painted in deep greens and muted purples, with just enough detail to suggest foliage without precise outlines. Beyond the trees, the gentle rise of a hill is visible, its contours softened by atmospheric haze and the diffuse glow of the sky above.

The sky occupies nearly half the composition, filled with pale washes of blue, yellow, and pink, creating a luminous backdrop that enhances the sense of open air and changing weather. Small details, such as the subtle shadows cast by the stacks and the delicate highlights along their edges, reveal Monet’s careful observation of light at a particular moment of day. In May 1891, Monet exhibited fifteen canvases from this series together in Paris, an event that marked a breakthrough in his career and in the history of French art. This particular view, with the stacks’ conical tops pushing into the sky, is characteristic of Monet’s autumn scenes in the series, while his winter views often show the stacks enveloped by bands of hill and field.

The painting was first sold to Durand-Ruel in Paris, then briefly owned by Charles Fairchild in Boston before returning to Durand-Ruel and subsequently entering the Palmer family collection in Chicago. It was eventually given to the Art Institute of Chicago by Arthur M. Wood, Sr.

in memory of Pauline Palmer Wood. The Art Institute holds the largest group of Monet’s Stacks of Wheat in the world, reflecting the importance of this motif in his practice.