Impression Sunrise

Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant) is a painting by Claude Monet, first shown at what would become known as the First Impressionist Exhibition in Paris in April 1874. The painting is credited with inspiring the name of the Impressionism movement after a hostile review by the critic Louis Leroy.

The painting depicts the port of Le Havre, Monet's hometown, at sunrise. Two small rowboats in the foreground return to harbor, their silhouettes reflected in the misty water. Behind them, the orange disk of the sun rises through a thick haze, casting an orange glow across the sky and water. The scene is loose and atmospheric, with the cranes and masts of ships barely visible in the background.

The painting is part of a series of views of the port of Le Havre that Monet painted in 1872, including Impression, Fog (also known as Fog Effect, Le Havre), now in the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris. The series was begun from a hotel window overlooking the port, while Monet was recovering from an illness.

The painting hangs today at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, which houses the world's largest collection of Monet's works. It is one of the most reproduced and recognized paintings in the world, and a cornerstone of Western art history.