Monet’s painting of a sunrise is dominated by a cool green/grey. This cool color occupies around three quarters of the painting and is relieved, in the upper sky, by a pale warm orange, intensifying as it approaches the rising sun. The sun is the direct complementary color to the surrounding sky, creating a shimmering intensity. By allowing the green/grey to dominate, the red/orange of the sun is injected with maximum intensity.

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