The painting “Haystacks” by Claude Monet is a revolutionary work that depicts a sunset on a rural setting. The appearance of the rough-and-ready brush strokes in this painting are a way for the artist to manage to capture an impression of a landscape en plein air; it is like a way of mimicking all of the current conditions of the moment right before they vanish. This creates an effect that allows the public to feel the conditions of the sunset that Monet is trying to capture. Broken colored brush strokes painted diagonally to the left mimic the effect of the wind blowing of what in the distance appears to be a colorful plain of flowers; it is all about how the wind makes you feel, it shows a subjective depiction of the landscape, rather than “objective” view of it. The directions of the brush strokes are equally important, because the artist uses them to create an effect of contrast that allows the public to clearly appreciate the houses that are better appreciated when one takes a step back to observe the landscape.
What really stands out in the painting are the tones of purple that Monet used to play with the light of the scene. He used dark, strong shades of purples for shadowing and lighter, brighter tones for portraying the landscape. All of these elements work in synchrony to create a snapshot; the impression of a retrieved memory that shows a peaceful landscape.

References:

Phillips, Sam. –Isms: Understanding Modern Art. New York, NY: Universe Publishing, 2012.
@beCraftsy. “4 Impressionist Techniques to Try Yourself.” The Craftsy Blog. 2014. Accessed September 19, 2016. http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/02/impressionist-techniques/