Monet or Manet? Or Van Gogh?

I think that my life is perhaps now complete. Remember this post? I have never been fully satisfied with my calendar's picture for February. And I have had a calendar every year basically since I was born. I don't ever remember not having a calendar. I do, however, clearly remember how every February's picture was just not up to par. This year, however, I have achieved February picture success. It's so amazing I can barely believe it myself. My calendar this year is a Monet calendar that I picked up for $8.97 at Walmart. Why spend $25 on a calendar when the picture for February is going to suck anyways? Actually, it was between Monet and Van Gogh but I have so much Dutch in my life as it is (did I say so much? what I meant was not enough. Wink wink). Each month is a different lovely painting by Monet (not to be confused with Manet, who, I have to say, I am less of a fan of than Monet). While I do love Monet, and I actually do like most of the paintings included in my calendar, there are a couple that are just a little blah...observe:

Ok, so, sure it's pretty, but not AMAZING. Not sure whether I'm fond of this one either:

It's called "The path under the rose arches" but to me it looks more like a blur of colours.

However. February. A beautiful painting entitled "Houses of parliament, sunlight breaking through the fog". Observe the beauty:


Not just a beautiful painting, but my FAVOURITE Monet painting. I love this painting. I love the colours. I love the texture. I love the smog* making the buildings appear as only outlines and the water and the sky all blend together into one beautiful textured mash of colour. So beautiful.

At last, my confidence in the caldendar business is strengthened. Oh, and you're welcome for the little art history lesson. We could all use a little more art history in our lives. Or at least I could.

*painted around 1900, while the industrial revolution was in full swing, covering London in a wonderful blanket of smog, and allowing beautiful paintings like this to be produced