At the Monet exhibition, a painting caught my attention, one that I remembered from Parfenov's film "The Eye of God." The film talked about Russian collectors and paintings that became part of the Russian Museum. One of the paintings depicts a pink mist through which the outlines of Westminster Abbey are barely visible, and seagulls flash with white glints in the sunlight. I distinctly remembered the mood of this painting. In the Albertina, I was pleasantly surprised to see several paintings next to it, all painted from the same spot but at different times and under different lighting. These paintings were brought from various museums, from Paris to Boston. The exhibition was curated in a way that showcased different paintings by the same artist, all depicting the same scene. In one of the rooms, there was a painting of Monet's wife passing by the windows of their home. It instantly brought to mind a plot from Parfenov's film, where it was mentioned that Monet was able to acquire this house by Shchukin purchasing one of his paintings.
From Stephansplatz, we meandered through the time-worn cobbles of Karntrashtrasse, arriving at the venerable Albertina Gallery. There, a unique Monet exhibition unfolded before our eyes, uniting his masterpieces from global museums. This collection showcased the same locales captured at varying seasons and times, revealing Monet's genius in a new light. Our stroll culminated at the old market square, where we were delighted by a humorous tale reminiscent of Mark Twain's wit.
