The University of Florida's Harn Museum of Art recently acquired an important painting by French Impressionist painter Claude Monet. Painted in 1890, Champ d'avoine (Oat Field) depicts a landscape in the vicinity of Giverny, the French village that Monet had called his home since 1883, and where he would spend the rest of his life. Painted in late summer when the field of oats and poppies was at the peak of maturity,the landscape unfolds into the far distance, the sky dominated by soft clouds that give way to a blue haze at the horizon.
 Often considered the archetypal Impressionist, Monet consistently explored the ephemeral aspects of the environment. Throughout his long career, and especially in his series beginning in the 1890s, he closely observed the effects that changes in light had on the perception of form and color. His refined color harmonies and spontaneous brushwork suggest the integration of the elements of the natural world.
 The acquisition of Champ d'avoine was made possible by a gift from Michael A. Singer, CEO of software company Medical Manager Corp.and a UF graduate. "This is a wonderful gift to the entire community," said Harn Museum Director Inez S. Wolins. "It's extraordinarily special
for a museum when a donor becomes passionate about works of art that have the power to extend a collection or give new meaning to an institution. Mickey Singer has a real devotion for the works of Monet and the French Impressionists and a vision for what the Harn Museum can become. His generosity will enlighten the lives of all who see the work he has given, and for that, we are very grateful."