“Monet sometimes worked up to sixty times on the same painting…
“…building up his textures in stages, and then strategically scumbling, overpainting and glazing them
“…calculated and intentional effort
“…myth of Monet’s apparently mindless spontaneity
“…Monet’s painting was the product of a consciousness deeply committed to its own material and emotional resources and aware that viewers, to one degree or another, had resources as well.”
Source: Monet and Modernism page 136/7
A painting looking spontaneous, random, quickly done and effortless all too easily belies what’s gone into this result. As it should, because the artistic effort shouldn’t be what the viewer is most aware of as they look at a painting.
Rather it’s revealed by the painting changing as the light conditions vary, emphasising different layers and altering the optical mixing. By a painting seeming one thing from a distance and another at arm’s length. Rewarding close looking, showing you more the more you look. There are layers of thought, memory, experience, and time, as well as the paint.