l contours are like sunken channels. The process through which Monet finally puts his impression on canvas carry some scientific elements and some painterly elements. Spate touches on the amount of work Monet does to the canvas after his initial flurry of activity which completely covers it. Monet's later additions cannot claim the scientific legitimacy of the original en plein air painting. A great deal of Monet's work took place in the studio where Monet chose the color harmonies he felt were most appropriate. Still, Monet continued to visit the site with his works and add pigments and rework lines whenever the lighting struck him as similar to the work. To that extent, Monet remained loyal to his initial mission. At the same time, aesthetic virtues required Monet to rework brushstrokes, add more precise lines, and alter color harmonies for decorative effect. Monet's method is both scientific and painterly. The only way Monet could capture his version of "the truth of a moment" required a bit of "lying." Monet's method made accommodations to his underlying philosophy of instantaneity and attention to decorative elements. Monet attempted to reconcile the idea of capturing a moment and his supposition that all moments absolute truth contains a harmony colors. His method of painting recognizes the necessities of both philosophies. ...
