How did Claude Monet paint the same subject in different light and weather?

Claude Monet captured the same subject under varying light and weather conditions by developing a method of producing repeated studies in a series. To achieve this, he would change canvases as the light shifted or as his interest in the scene evolved.12

His approach involved several key practices:

• Series Painting: Monet focused on specific motifs—such as haystacks, the Rouen Cathedral, or his water-lily pond—and painted them over and over, day after day, to track how light and atmosphere altered their appearance.13
• "Instantaneity": He sought to capture what he called the "envelope" of light, which unified a scene for a fleeting moment before changing.3
• Outdoor and Studio Work: While he began many of these works en plein air to observe the actual scene, he often returned to his studio to "harmonize" or rework the canvases, building them up with complex layers of color.34
• Technical Application: He used discrete flecks and dabs of pure, harmonizing, or contrasting color to evoke the brilliance of sunlight and its reflections, allowing forms to shimmer and vibrate rather than relying on clear outlines.4