Explicit solvent effects on the visible absorption spectrum of a photosynthetic pigment: Chlorophyll-c2 in methanol

► Inclusion of explicit solvent effects on the spectrum of a photosynthetic pigment. ► An accurate description of the intense Soret and the low-lying Q states. ► The Soret band cannot be entirely understood within the 4-orbital model. ► Analysis of the existence and the proper location of the dark states in solvent. ► Solute-solvent hydrogen bonds has influence in the visible spectrum.