Skip to main content

Primary sourcePainting1876

The Studio Boat

Claude Monet · 1876

Monet's own 1876 painting of himself at work in the floating studio he used to paint views of the Seine.

Monet painted himself at work in his floating studio, showing how he reached otherwise inaccessible river views.

Ask Claude Monet about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Painting of a small boat with a white-trimmed cabin on a river, with a figure in dark clothing and hat seated inside. Trees line the banks, and the boat's reflection ripples in the water. The signature 'Claude Monet' appears in the lower right corner.
Claude Monet, The Studio Boat, 1876. Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia.

About this source

What it is

An oil painting made in 1876 by Claude Monet, showing him seated inside the cabin of his studio boat on the Seine at Argenteuil. It is held today by the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.

Why it matters

Monet bought the boat soon after moving to Argenteuil and used it to paint river views he could not reach from land. This picture shows him painting himself at work, something scholars see as a shift away from pure outdoor observation toward highlighting the artist's own creative role. His friend Édouard Manet also painted Monet working on this same boat, so the two pictures together show how Monet's circle pictured him.

Look closer

  • Why might Monet choose to paint himself inside his own studio boat rather than only painting the river?
  • What does the small, enclosed cabin tell you about how Monet worked outdoors?
  • How might this image differ from Manet's painting of the same subject?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Claude Monet on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Claude Monet sources

Meet the AI Claude Monet →
Painting of a hazy harbor at sunrise. A glowing orange-red sun sits above blue-grey water, with orange reflections on the waves. Dark silhouetted boats and masts stand against a misty sky. Signed Claude Monet, 72, lower left.Painting

Primary source

Impression, Sunrise

Claude Monet · 1872

Painting of a railway station with a steam locomotive under a glass and iron roof, surrounded by billowing blue and white steam. Buildings stand in the background and small figures walk on the platform at lower right.Painting

Primary source

La Gare Saint-Lazare

Claude Monet · 1877

Painting of the west facade of Rouen Cathedral in warm sunlight, with a dark recessed central portal, a rose window, and spires against a deep blue sky. Visible signature in the lower left corner.Painting

Primary source

Rouen Cathedral Series

Claude Monet · 1892-1894

Impressionist painting of two haystacks in a sunlit field with soft blue and green hazy hills and trees behind them. The larger haystack is on the right, the smaller on the left, with a signature in the lower left corner.Painting

Primary source

Haystacks

Claude Monet · 1890-1891

Impressionist painting of a woman in a light blue dress holding a green parasol, walking on a grassy hill under a bright sky with clouds. A small child in a straw hat stands at the left among yellow flowers.Painting

Primary source

Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son

Claude Monet · 1875

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Claude Monet now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions