San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk

The Venetian island church of San Giorgio Maggiore stands silhouetted across the lagoon at dusk, its tower and dome dissolving into a haze of mauve, gold, and deep blue, the water and sky melting together in the fading light. Monet painted it during a late visit to Venice, the city's shimmering atmosphere perfectly suited to his lifelong pursuit of light. Now in Cardiff, San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk is among the most atmospheric of his Venice canvases - solid architecture nearly abstracted into a glowing veil of color, the famous view transfigured into pure radiant mood.