Below the bridge, the river is rendered in broad, horizontal strokes of blue and violet, giving the water a shimmering, restless surface. Above the bridge, the city dissolves into a dense, atmospheric haze of lavender, pink, and blue, with only the faintest outlines of buildings and smokestacks visible through the fog. A tall, vertical form rises near the center background, its edges blurred by mist, hinting at a distant tower or chimney.

The sky and city merge together in a veil of color, with soft, overlapping strokes that create a sense of depth and diffused sunlight. The paint is applied in loose, visible brushstrokes, layering cool and warm tones to evoke the effect of sunlight breaking through the London fog. The museum notes that Monet rose early each day to capture Waterloo Bridge in the morning light, observing the changing atmosphere from his vantage point. Both of the Art Institute’s Waterloo Bridge paintings are dated 1900 and 1903, but the museum states that both were likely begun in 1900 and only dated when Monet considered them finished.

Monet completed all of his London paintings in his studio at Giverny, refusing to send any to his dealer until he was satisfied with the ensemble as a whole. The Art Institute’s record describes Monet’s belief that London’s beauty comes from its fog, which gives the city its breadth and atmosphere. After its completion, the painting was sold by Monet to Durand-Ruel in Paris in 1904, then passed through several hands, including Durand-Ruel in New York and W. A.

Putnam, before returning to Durand-Ruel and eventually entering the Ryerson Collection. Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect was exhibited in Paris in 1904, Boston in 1905, and shown in several American museums throughout the mid-twentieth century.