The Studio Boat tells the story about Monet and his relationship with water. On the studio boat, floating on the Seine, is the closest to water Monet has ever been. The studio boat provided Monet a break from modernity during his last years in Argenteuil, when the small town outside Paris started to become too industrialized for the artist's ideal. The retreat to water is like an escape to heaven for Monet; on water, he finds the freedom to express himself and explore his artistic direction as well as his notion of modern life.