Between 1871-75, Monet lived in the Parisian suburb of Argenteuil and executed a series of paintings depicting the natural world; Fruit Trees is one of these works.
The artist has used darker greens and browns between the tree trunks and upon the farther branches to create the background of the forest.
In the foreground, lighter greens highlight the grass and the nearer branches. Gentle hatches of paler green create the grass blades that rise subtly above the forest floor.
Dashes of grey along the dark tree trunks create an impression of light.
This subtle rendering of pastel shades almost animates the trees underneath the patch of blue sky that is smudged with grey to create clouds. In fact, Monet's Fruit Trees occupies a place between naturalistic art and the works of symbolist artists, like Redon.
