Monet in Modern The Hague by Arjen Roos

Picture this: it is the late 19th century. Claude Monet, always looking for new light and colours, is travelling through the Netherlands. In the Zaan region, he becomes enchanted by the bright hues of the wooden houses and the spinning windmills. The bright colours he sees there - red, blue, green - settle into his palette and his imagination.

On a sunny afternoon, Monet arrives in The Hague. While exploring the city, he comes across the Hofvijver. Monet, fascinated by the play of light on the water and the colours of the city, stops and stares his eyes out. The stately buildings reflect vividly in the rippling water, while behind them, surprisingly modern, the skyline rises like an echo of the future. A scene that immediately enchants him.

The brick facades along the waterfront, however, seem a bit dull to him after the colourful spectacle of the Zaan region. Determined to make the picture more vivid, Monet settles in with his sketchbook and a few tubes of paint - a modern innovation that allows him to work directly and spontaneously in the open air. In quick, accurate brushstrokes, he captures the sparkling water, fountain and cloudy skies over the city, but now with a more colourful, expressive palette than reality offers.

As he works, he is curiously watched by Hagenezen and Hagenaren alike. Some greet kindly, others cast him a questioning glance - a French artist who does handle colour and perspective very freely. Monet only smiles and works imperturbably; he knows he is not just painting what he sees, but what he feels.

A painting that never really existed - but in this work of art becomes as tangible as a dream.