Rouen Cathedral, Sunrise

Rouen Cathedral, Sunrise from 1825 anticipates by seventy years Monet's famous series of the same subject. Bonington's luminous treatment of the Gothic cathedral bathed in morning light demonstrates the direct observation of atmospheric effects that would influence successive generations of French painters. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays luminous, atmospheric color applied with the freshness of watercolor in oil painting, alla prima technique that captured the transience of light on water and architecture.

The cathedral's Gothic architecture is rendered with precise observation while the sunrise effects are captured through warm, transparent glazes that bathe the stone in golden light.