Painting Balance

In Charing Cross Bridge by Claude Monet, the painting is well balanced because the bridge acts as a horizon line. The viewer is able to focus easier by having a bridge that helps direct their attention right to the middle of the painting. The bridge also balances out the sky and the water, each part equally as big. The buildings in the back are painted smaller which allows parts of the sky show in the background as well.

If the buildings were painted bigger it would not have appeared as balanced since the buildings would also create a focus that would confuse the viewer from the main focus of the bridge. The shadows are all in the correct spots, all leaning towards the left side since the sun is shinning from the right side out towards the left side of the painting.