Image: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Claude Monet’s ‘Haystacks, midday’ (1890) is being shown alongside works by Australian plein air painters at Geelong Gallery in an exhibition examining shared approaches to light, atmosphere and seasonal change. ‘Claude Monet and Australian Impressionism’ runs from 30 May to 25 October 2026 in Geelong, Victoria, with free entry.
The Monet painting is on loan from the National Gallery of Australia through the Australian Government-supported Sharing the National Collection initiative. The work is on long-term loan from the Canberra institution, which purchased it in 1979.
‘Haystacks, midday’ belongs to a series Monet made of wheat stacks in a field adjoining his property at Giverny near Paris. According to Geelong Gallery, the series is distinguished by its treatment of differing light and weather conditions, making the painting a focused example of the French artist’s sustained interest in observing changes in the natural world.
At Geelong, the work is displayed with paintings from the gallery’s own collection by Australian plein air artists active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of those artists played a key role in the development of Australian Impressionism and, like Monet, pursued the effects of light, atmospheric conditions and seasonal shifts in nature.
The exhibition forms part of Geelong Gallery’s 2026 programme, which also includes ‘Milestones in Collecting—130th Anniversary Exhibition’, on view from 30 May to 25 October. That presentation traces the development of the gallery’s collection through works including Frederick McCubbin’s ‘A bush burial’ (1890), acquired in 1900, and John Brack’s ‘The hunt’ (1988), purchased in 1996. The two exhibitions share the same closing date but are presented as separate Geelong Gallery exhibitions.
Geelong Gallery, located at 55 Little Malop Street, is open daily from 10am to 5pm. ‘Claude Monet and Australian Impressionism’ is free to visit throughout its scheduled run, ending on Sunday 25 October 2026.
