It was his last trip.įrom the late 1890s until his death in 1926, Monet’s main source of inspiration was his Giverny water garden, particularly the water lilies that covered it. Then, the city’s magic took over and Monet set to work, excited about the idea of representing this magical atmosphere and seduced by so many graceful motifs. La Serenissima, the city of water and light par excellence, magnified by its architecture, intimidated him: he couldn’t paint for the first ten days. He made extensive travels in Italy as well, including Genoa, Bordighera, and Venice. He also continued to travel throughout France (Antibes, Belle-Ile-en-Mer, and so on). Monet also spent time in Norway, where he created a series on Mount Kolsaas, which was shown alongside the one on Rouen Cathedral. Monet returned to London later, with a more distinct style, and gave us magnificent views of a fading parliament.Īfter his first visit to London, he took a detour to the Netherlands, where the tulip fields, windmills, and canals did not disappoint him. It was also where he met Paul Durand-Ruel, one of his main gallerists and, more importantly, a staunch supporter of Impressionist artists. When he moved to London to escape the Franco-Prussian War, he took advantage of the opportunity to paint the city, including its public parks and the Thames. He was already sensitive to the unique light of the former French colony during his military service in Algeria. Was he attempting a thorough examination of all light’s manifestations? Was he on a demiurgic quest, as this accuracy outside the range of the ordinary sight suggests? This serial investigation of light opens a significant gap in 20th-century art, that much is certain.Ĭlaude Monet has always traveled, and travel has always provided him with new opportunities to paint. So much so that, while developing the Rouen Cathedral series, he occasionally had dreams in which it was falling on him. It is a demanding job that requires complete involvement in the creative process. He also considered how the weather and the seasons might affect his work. Monet worked on multiple canvases at the same time to catch its evolution during the day. Each composition in the series displays a similar, if not identical composition, with the only difference coming from the effect of light, justifying his intense research of light. The most well-known ones are those that focus on Rouen’s Cathedral, grain stacks, and poplars (these two series are created near Giverny). His daily environment served as his ideal template- he found inspiration in a setting that he imagined as a place of constant contemplation.Ĭlaude Monet started creating his paintings in series in 1890. In his final days, he continued to chat about his garden and stopped speaking of painting. His garden, like his paintings, was a work of art Monet often asserted that he was a better gardener than an artist. In order to have dominating colors, that correspond to the seasons, he took into account the blooming period, and the placement of the flowers was determined by the path of the sun, leaving no room for chance. The surroundings and landscapes he selects to paint also convey something about his inner existence, and how he was able to make it resonate with the magnificence of the outside world to the point where he decided to personalize the landscape to his tastes, such as the garden of his Giverny home. He depicted his own life in such paintings, but as time passed, his paintings progressively included fewer human beings and more natural elements. This approach led to the creation of more masterpieces, such as this Walk, Woman with a Parasol that also includes Camille and Jean (see below). He loved spending time with his close ones, and it shows in his work. Monet’s family members frequently modeled for him. It portrays his first wife Camille and their son Jean strolling through a field. Claude Monet also featured Poppies at the first Impressionist exhibition.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |