The Saint-Lazare Station, a series of 12 paintings by Monet

At the third Impressionist exhibition, held in April 1877, Claude Monet presented twelve different versions of the Saint-Lazare Station. The theme of technical progress was very much in fashion at the time, captivating many artists, painters and writers alike. Émile Zola greatly admired Monet's paintings and drew inspiration from them for his novel La Bête humaine.

In painting the Saint-Lazare Station, Monet showed a particular interest in the Industrial Revolution. This was, it should be recalled, the heart of the Haussmann era, which was pulling Paris toward modernity, almost by force. Buildings of steel and glass rose from the ground, and the railways shortened distances, making travel accessible to a growing number of people.

While the Saint-Lazare Station, designed by the civil engineer Eugène Flachat, sits at the center of the series, the modern buildings glimpsed in the background help create a distinctly modern atmosphere.

The choice to paint a series stems from the difficulty of capturing every emotion of so lively a place in a single work. Light, crowds, and sensations shift from one hour to the next, from one day to another.

Discover the twelve paintings below, each with its title and the year it was made, so you can form your own impression and let yourself be carried away by Monet's magic and talent.

• The Saint-Lazare Station (75 x 105 cm).
• The Saint-Lazare Station, Arrival of a Train (81.9 x 101 cm).
• The Saint-Lazare Station, the Normandy Train (59.6 x 80.2 cm).
• The Saint-Lazare Station (53 x 72 cm).
• The Pont de l'Europe, Saint-Lazare Station (64 x 81 cm).
• Exterior of the Saint-Lazare Station, Sunlight Effect (60 x 81 cm).
• Exterior of the Saint-Lazare Station, Arrival of a Train (60 x 72 cm).
• The Tracks Leaving the Saint-Lazare Station (60 x 80 cm).
• The Saint-Lazare Station, Exterior View (60 x 80 cm).
• The Saint-Lazare Station, Exterior View (64 x 81 cm).
• The Saint-Lazare Station, the Signals (65 x 81 cm).
• The Batignolles Cutting (38 x 46 cm).

Fond of Monet? Do not miss our presentations and commentaries on some of the finest works of this essential figure of Impressionism. 

We feature, in particular, several series of paintings, the Water Lilies and the Haystacks, as well as individual canvases such as Poppies, Impression, Sunrise, and Woman in a Green Dress.