Pierre Loti, the once world-renowned French novelist, developed a remarkably Impressionist style that was recognised early on. While those who know his work in France continue to see him as an Impressionist artist on the level of Monet and Renoir, no one has ever asked how he achieved this in literature. Examining Loti's novels, this study shows how he managed to reproduce with words what Monet was doing in oils. It also shows how the author came to theorise about the effects of Impressionism on the reader-viewer.