CLAUDE MONET - 5

 In 1893, Claude Monet, a horticulture enthusiast, purchased land with a pond near his property in Giverny, about 50 miles northwest of Paris, in the Normandy area.  He wanted to build something that was pleasing to the eye.  The result was his famous water-lily garden.  In the summer of 1899, he started painting a series of eighteen views of the wooden footbridge over the pond, completing twelve works.  

The Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool - 1899

The color green occupies a great part of this painting.  Trees, grass and lily pads dominate the scene, conveying the message about the strength of natural life.  The Japanese bridge is downplayed by blending into the environment.  Monet prevents the bridge from appearing abrupt to the viewer.  

The garden tells Monet's story and his love for the natural elements in the Asian cultures.  Monet turned his pond into a water garden that contained Asian-influenced objects.  It was in 1895 that he added a Japanese-styled wooden bridge to his water garden.  There were many highly decorative designs in Japanese architecture that he could have chosen, but he picked the most straightforward kind.  Its simplicity embodies the spiritual aspect of Japanese philosophy that stresses the unity between humans and nature.

Technology keeps updating our lives.  The painting shows the exact opposite.  It teaches us that we still need to interact with the outside world despite the astonishing technological achievements.  Taking a walk in nature can bring us some relief from being confined in a concrete box all day.  Monet promotes our co-existence with the environment in this painting.  Notice how the pink and white lilies introduce warm color into the painting.

Monet's positioning of the bridge opens up another interpretation of the human role in the natural world.  The bridge in the middle, representing a connection made by humans, merges the separated trees and lilies visually in the painting, signifying that a noninvasive human creation can sustain the well-being of the environment and become a balancing force that promotes harmony between them.

The bridge spans the pond.  Notice how the four vertical bars create a rhythm that contrasts with the water lilies' horizontal expansion.  Monet said of this painting, "The water flowers are far from being the whole scene; really, they are just the accompaniment.  The essence of the motif is the mirror of water whose appearance alters at every moment."

 
In my research, I found several really neat things that Monet said.  As part of a study of his works, it's only right that we know what he was thinking......

"Water Lilies are an extension of my life.  Without the water, lilies cannot live, as I am without art."

"One instant, one aspect of nature contains it all."

"Eventually, my eyes were opened, and I really understood nature.  I learned to love at the same time."

"Every day I discover more and more beautiful things.  It's enough to drive one mad.  I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it."

"Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love."

"What keeps my heart awake is colorful silence."

"I think we can change everything all the time.  Accidents are the best things in existence.  They force you to leave a route that seemed to be mapped out...It's often when things aren't going well that we are forced into doing them differently and they suddenly become interesting."

CLAUDE MONET - 4

The Bodmer Oak, Fontainebleau Forest 1865

In this painting, Monet used bright yellows, greens and oranges to show the sunlight filtering through the canopy of branches onto a carpet of russet leaves.  This forest, located 37 miles southeast of Paris, was famous for having inspired 19th century artists. 

The Bodmer Oak tree was named after Swiss artist Karl Bodmer, who exhibited a painting of the tree in 1850.  My first thought when I saw this scene...does the dead gray tree standing beside the thriving oak tree symbolize the death that stands beside each of us throughout our life journey?   

Artists often found their inspiration in Nature.  They interacted with Nature through their senses and created their works of art incorporating what they observed.  The environmental conditions are different from place to place, yet Nature has been, and still is, a universal human experience.  We see plants, animals, water and the sky adorning works of art across all cultures.  There's something refreshing about being surrounded by the natural world.  That's why people visit parks and go hiking in the wilderness.  Nature nourishes and nurtures.

Nature provides a sense of harmony and balance.  Its colors, textures and shapes work together and provide a sense of calm that artists can translate into art.  Being outdoors gives the brain space to think higher thoughts.   

Norman Farm Through the Trees - 1886

Here Monet captured the serenity of a Normandy, France farm scene through a frame of trees.  Dominating the picture is a leaning tree with visible bark, a mossy base and branches reaching into an overcast sky.  Monet invites us to contemplate the simplicity and beauty of country life.  Take note of the scattered white wildflowers that lead us closer to the buildings, where a patch of flowers grows.  

Impressionist artists captured a moment in time to pass on to the generations.  This farm scene is exactly what Monet saw.  We also learn to take note of the scenes that Nature provides for us every day.  I now better understand what is meant by the term, "art appreciation."  Paintings do speak to us.  Paintings hold within them unspoken messages.  

Art appreciation is personal.  How we view a work depends on our life experiences, cultural background and knowledge of art.  Different people may respond to a painting in different ways.  Art is like a language, a form of expression.  A painting may send a symbolic message, a historical, religious or political message.  The purpose of art is to draw an emotional response, to "move" us in some way.

CLAUDE MONET - 3

Truth be told, Monet's paintings were not my favorite before this study.  Since learning about the painter and his painting style, it's just like in real life....what we don't know.....we don't understand.  

The Denver Art Museum is home to the most comprehensive United States exhibition of Monet paintings.  The Truth of Nature features over 120 paintings that focus on Monet's enduring relationship with Nature.  We will see how Monet, over time, abandons any human presence in the landscapes he created.  This is a testimony to his commitment to isolate himself in nature.  

The Artist's House at Argenteuil - 1873
(The Art Institute of Chicago)

Claude Monet and his family lived at Argenteuil, outside Paris, from 1871 to 1878.  He painted 259 pictures there, including over 150 for which Argenteuil and its surroundings were the subject matter.  This painting shows Monet's wife, Camille, standing in the doorway of their vine-covered house, while their son (still wearing a uni-sex dress) plays with a hoop in the garden.  The left side of the canvas depicts the garden, with trees, flowers and a tall dark tree in the background.  The right side shows a row of Oriental vases and the house, which casts a shadow over most of the painting.  Japanese art was a major influence on Claude Monet's art.  In this work, note his use of the color blue.

This is the backyard of the large house that Claude Monet was renting in the suburban town of Argeneuil, a 15-minute train ride down the river from Paris.  We can envision Monet setting up his easel behind the house, deliberately excluding the industrial smoke and steam.  Instead, we see a secluded garden, a mid-summer calm.  

Since we've started this art adventure, I've grown more eager to visit art museums.  Thank heaven for the internet, where virtual museum tours are available at no cost.  

CLAUDE MONET - 2

Today we'll look at two of Monet's Impressionist paintings.  Let's take time individually to study his use of colors to cast shadows, reflections and sunshine....notice the tree on the far left and the brushstrokes of gold.  And, the yellow hat with blue ribbon that matches the sky.  The presence of the hat makes this painting relatable to the viewer, plus it adds a touch of casual comfort.  By now, we are better able, as beginning art students, to study paintings. In this first painting, we see Monet has placed people in the painting who are out enjoying the sunny day.

On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt - 1868
Now in the Art Institute of Chicago

Here we are looking at Claude Monet's future wife, Camille Doncieux, (holding their baby son, Jeon) looking toward the small village of Gloton, from where she and Monet have presumably rowed their boat.  (Camille and Monet married on June 28, 1870).  The figure of Camille was used to lead the viewer's eye across the water.  By including her in the painting, he adds a personal layer to his artwork.  She also adds a sense of contemplation and connection to the landscape. Camille modeled for him in more than 30 paintings.   Pay close attention to the way he plays with light on the water...with color.  When he paints shapes, they often appear blurry.

Next painting......

Woman with a Parasol - 1875
(Madame Monet and Her Son)
Now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Woman with a Parasol shows his wife Camille and son Jeon out for a summer stroll on a windy summer's day.  Note how Monet painted this picture from a lower point of view.  This has the effect of increasing Camille's importance as she fills the upper parts of the canvas.  Her skirt appears to whip around with the wind, adding the element of movement.  The painting features flowing ribbons and a small figure of his son to balance the composition.  

As for symbolism, the parasol represents shelter, protection and the gentle nurturing presence of a mother.  He used bright colors to represent the beams of sunlight hitting the parasol and their clothes.  The woman's dress and parasol symbolize her status in society.  The grassy slope symbolizes the countryside that Monet preferred to the city and industry.  Monet manages to create for us a casual, carefree family day out.  

The sky and clouds are painted in mostly white and blue, but he also applied grays to depict the interplay of light and shadow.  His use of wider and thicker brush strokes gives the impression of more light.

The parasol was used to protect oneself from sunlight, whereas, the umbrella was used to protect oneself from rain.  The difference being the material used. 

We have to realize at that time the academy art community had set conventional rules to be followed by artists.  Radicals, like Monet, violated those rules.  Their pictures consisted of more freely brushed colors, which was more of a priority than maintaining lines and contours.  Before this movement, landscapes were painted indoors in a studio.  But, the impressionists understood that they could better capture the changing and momentary colors and effects of the sun if they painted outdoors actually experiencing the view.  They were more focused on portraying an overall  visual effect instead of catering to details.

Note:  Have you taken the time to watch a brilliant sunrise?  If you have, then you know that the brilliance in color changes quickly.  I don't know how an artist could accurately paint a sunrise without actually seeing it.  Personal perception is the key.   

CLAUDE MONET - 1

Of the many photographs of Claude Monet available on the internet, I chose this one to introduce us to our study of The King of Impressionism.  

To begin our study, Monet is pronounced   Mo-nay.  His first name was Oscar; Claude his middle name.  When he was age 15, he drew charcoal caricatures and signed them as "O. Monet."  (see one of his caricatures below)

Caricature of a Man With
A Snuff Box, 1858

Claude Monet was born in 1840 in Paris.  When he was five, the family moved to Normandy in northern France.  His father wanted him to continue the family grocery and ship handling business, but Claude (supported by his mother) entered the local art school.  He attended classes in Le Havre (luh + haav) for about four years.   Le Havre translates to "The Harbor."   

It was in Normandy that Monet met Eugene Boudin, a French artist who painted seascapes.  He became a mentor and friend.  It was he who introduced Monet to the concept of painting outdoors, en plein air.

It's important to know that when a groundbreaking group of artists started the Impressionist movement, art critics turned up their noses at it.  It was unheard of for an artist not to draw first and then paint the drawing.  Critics considered that a lack of skill on the artist's part.  However, today we see the movement was an intelligent choice that eventually crowned color as the king of painting.

Claude Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise is considered the first Impressionist painting.  It was exhibited at the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris in 1874.  

Impression, Sunrise - 1872

An astronomer and physics professor at the University of Texas did a topographical, iconographical, meteorological and astrological study that precisely dated the time Monet painted this picture.  It was at 7:35 a.m. on November 13, 1872, thirty minutes before dawn, and he painted it in one setting.  How cool is that!

The above painting shows a quiet morning at the port, with two small rowboats in the foreground, more fishing boats in the middle ground, and clipper ships in the background.  The rising sun is orange and contrasts with the dark vessels.  Monet painted this picture while looking out the window and drawing what he saw.  Notice the short brushstrokes.  Impression, Sunrise is considered a poem to the power and beauty of revitalized France following the Franco-Prussian War.

This painting has an interesting history to tell us.  In 1985, three gunmen entered the Marmottan Museum in Paris and stole it.  The painting disappeared for five years; and then was discovered in 1990 in an apartment on the island of Corsica, part of France. The search had been launched in Japan using contacts in the Yakuza (organized crime network).  It's been said that the thert made this painting a legend, and now the whole world wants to see this pivotal painting.  Impression, Sunrise is considered the Mona Lisa of Impressionism.

So, we have left the shore and are now on our way to learning about Claude Monet's life and his artistic accomplishments.  I hope my followers can enjoy learning about these incredible humans that lived and loved before us.  One can't help but be astounded by their brilliance and passion to create.  If only they could know how their passion is passed down for the generations.  It would be our loss if we didn't take time to introduce ourselves to their world and the way they expressed their feelings and beliefs.  Each one of us has a gift to share, and it's our human duty to make sure we don't squander or simply not use that gift.  Part of the fun in life is discovering what that gift is.  There are times I learn things about myself through the works of others.  

We'll keep going farther out to sea tomorrow, so ta-ta till then.

IMPRESSIONISM and REALISM

Example of Impressionism

The Impressionist art movement began in France in the late 1800s.  It focuses on capturing the impression of a scene as it appears to the artist.  It was the artist's intent to paint their "impression" rather than what they saw in real life.

The style is called en plein air, French for in the open air.  The impressionist's favorite subject:  the landscape.  The Impressionist painters were especially fond of the play of light on water.  You will notice how water holds a number of symbolic meanings in art, ranging from tranquility to forbidding and impossible to control.  

What are the characteristics of Impressionism?   

• Painting outdoors to capture the changing light and atmosphere as it flickered and faded while the artist worked.
• Short, quick and often messy brushstrokes.  Impressionists believed it was acceptable to see visible brush strokes in a final piece, like the artist's hand itself.
• Bright, vibrant colors to capture light and shadow.
• Impressionist paintings often had an unfinished look.

We have already studied Vincent Van Gogh, and his paintings are referred to as Post-Impressionism.   

Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a French painter and leader of the Impressionist movement, known as the King of Impressionism.

IMPRESSIONISM in a nutshell:  "Taken as a whole, Impressionism argues that we don't really see the natural or real world objectively because everything that we perceive is filtered through our minds, and our minds are filled with unique and personal memories and emotions.....SO, each of our minds perceives the world differently."  All we really have is our IMPRESSION of what we see.

There are different genres of art, and there's no way we're going to study all of them.  Together, we'll learn to identify those from the 19th century to today.  

The Stone Breakers - Gustave Courbet - 1849
Example of Realism

Before Impressionism was the style of Realism.  It was an artistic movement that depicted the world as accurately and authentically as possible.  It's characterized by observing closely outward appearances....with no imaginative idealization.  Simply said, Realism depicted real life.  Realism started in Europe in the mid-1800s and is considered the beginning of modern art.  Realism art represents our world as if we're looking through a window at its harsh realities. 

The Stone Breakers (pictured above) depicts the hard-working class of people at the time.  It's been called "a masterpiece in its genre."  Controversy in art started when painters began addressing social issues in their work, by painting the rural peasants and the working conditions of the poor.  The painting clearly depicts men who are toiling in exhaustion.  It emphasizes the backbreaking monotony of this sector of society and allows us to see for ourselves what life was like for them.  It was reality...Realism.