Monet was fascinated with the effects of sunlight on snow and had attempted painting snow-covered scenes even before he fulfilled an ambition to travel to Norway. In the winter of 1895 an opportunity arose to visit his stepson Jacques Hoschedé who was living in Christiana (now Oslo), and whilst there he spent two months exploring the region on foot and by horse-drawn sleigh, often setting up his easel outside to paint, even in temperatures of -20°C. On one occasion he wrote to a friend saying: “I painted part of the day today, while it was snowing continually: you would have laughed to see me entirely white, my beard covered in icy stalactites”. When you visit Monet’s Garden you will see three paintings of the crisp Norwegian landscape that Monet did during that visit.