Claude Monet is represented in the Hermitage by works of different periods. Two large canvases, one of which is The Pond at Montgeron, were created to decorate the house of Ernest Hoschede, patron and friend of the Impressionists, when the Impressionist style was at its height. Rejecting the rules of classical landscapes, the artist concentrates on reflecting changes in light and colour, producing an astonishingly fresh momentary impression.