Art History and Theory: Claude Monet Artwork

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Outline

The Monet’s works suggest a series of rich paintings were done in and identical canvas with similar sizes and using the same points of views that clearly overlooked the entire scenes from his window (Stuckey 125). It can be noted that Monet expressed his views in an “envelop- like” style with some of the interactive color touch. He used several aspects of color to depict both moving and stationery objects to evoke our views and perceptions on paintings. This paper focuses his early works and shows how he viewed the artificial features like buildings and the natural ones like the rivers as portrayed in the paintings (126).

Introduction

Claude Monet (14^th November, 1840- 5^th December 1926) (Mount 309), a Paris born painter, leader, initiator and a staunch advocate of impressionist’s style in painting (founded the French impressionist painting) was the most devoted to the idea of impressionists’ movement because of his long and unwavering career in the impressionists’ philosophical ideals of artwork that portrayed one’s view of nature (311) His art work painting of Impression: Sunrise gave out the term Impressionism that is still used to date to imply any artwork that expresses one’s perceptions on nature.

A second born child to the second generation Parisians Claude- Adolphe and singer Louis- Justine, he was baptized as Claude Monet on 20^th May, 1841 in the local church (Guggenheim Collection). In 1845, he together with his family relocated to Le Havre where he established himself as a budding painter after defying his father’s desire to make him run the family grocery business. It is in La Havre where he joined La Havre Secondary School of arts and exposed his skills as a caricaturist by using charcoal to draw caricatures that he would later sell to the local people. However, Monet’s mentor Boudin changed him to a landscape painter and adopted the art of outdoor painting using oil paints (Pioch 32). The events that followed later were his mother’s death on 28^th January, 1857 when he was 16 (Tucker 224)

His enrolment in Atelier Suisse (Paris) connected him with Pissaro, with whom they became friends. He would look at his environment and paint whatever he saw interesting to express in painting unlike most artists who copied from old masters of painting. However, in 1961, Monet was recruited as among the First Regiment of African Light Calvary in Algeria. He returned to La Havre after two years of military involvements and later went to the studio of Gleyre (Paris), thus prompting his meeting with Renoir, Sisley, and Bazille, with whom he later formed the core of Impressionist group (Tucker 226). This he did because he did not like the traditional ways of teaching art at the Universities thus had to adopt new style by painting through impressions (228)

Monet faced a lot of difficulty in his life after Camille’s death on 5^th September, 1879, swore never to get married in poverty and consequently began to produce some of the most admired paintings to date. In the early 80s, Monet painted so many landscapes as ell as seascapes in an attempt to bring inot documentation the countryside of France (Forge & Robert 224). This visibly extensive campaign subsequently gave rise to a series of paintings.

It is observed that Monet was a really exceptional painter of a controlled nature; concentrating in his gardens mainly in Giverny, which had water lilies, ponds as well as bridge (Stuckey 123). Other than that, he also painted the bank of rivers such River Seine like the one of his popular Brake-up of the ice on the Seine. He also wrote daily instructions to his staff at the garden, with clear and concise designs and the ultimate layout for all the plantings (126). Monet also wrote invoices for the purchase of flowers and botany books. He remained the architect for his garden even after growing rich to hire the up to seven gardeners, building a greenhouse and another studio and his smart residential house (131). After his wife succumbed to tuberculosis in 1879, Monet painted her on her deathbed, indicating a passionate approach to artwork (Tucker 227).

Monet later traveled a lot to the Mediterranean between the 1883 and 1908, coming up with paintings of landmarks, landscapes and seascapes, producing a series beautiful paintings in Venice and London like the Views of parliament [Tucker 226)

His artwork proceeded to World War I. Inspired by his younger son Michael who participated in the war and his great friend Clemenceau, who led France; he painted a several series of weeping pillow tress as the homage to the bitten soldiers. He faced difficulty after being attacked by cataract that led to some two operations. This disease affected his tone in the paintings such that it could be seen that the general reddish tone, a symbol of cataract victims (Pioch 35). Some argue that it could be the disease that changed his vision that made him see only some certain wavelength of the ultraviolet rays, thus influencing the dominant red color in the paintings. it is said that after his operations, he went even went further to repaint some of his earlier paintings, depicting a more hue especially in the blue-natured water as compared to the ones before the operations (Forge & Gordon 224).

The impression: Soleil levant, Sunrise

In this picture, it is easy to notice how Monet used the sun painting in a very creative manner, expressing sun’s panoramic view at the La Havre Harbor, a scene he observed when he stayed there in the 1872. This piece of artwork gave a new meaning to the term impression by indicating how pomp and color can be expressed in a small piece of artwork. This work was not really to be regarded as the yardstick to the standard work of art, but later was considered to be unique in a way thus giving the movement and touch with its particular this name (Guggenheim Collection).

Social conflict idea

As a prolific painter, Monet’s work of art was first recognized in the Camille or The Woman in Green Dress that featured his wife, Camille Doncieux. She was again later featured in the Woman in the Garden and on the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt (1968). Camille became pregnant and gave birth to their first son Jean- Pierre Monet. His attempt to commit suicide due to financial strain was not successful.

The Red Kerchief: the portrait of Camille Monet (1870) is 54×66 cm and contains the portrait of Camille Monet, with only the red kerchief color that screams out and exposes the figure outside while the rest of the colors are muted in an uncharacteristic manner. It is critical to note that Camille is identified as the artist’s wife in the title, giving a clear impression of Monet’s social inclinations in his artworks (Tucker 228). The presence of the window and the doorway represent his normal standard painting motif; with its ever open indicator that shows that the Monet’s love for the panoramic view of the environment (Stuckey 126). However, the major catching impression in the painting is the relationship problems that Monet exposes when he portrays Camille, his wife, to be locked out in the cold, struggling to keep herself warm with her coat. With unexpectedly shallow window perspective, and her elbow at the horizon line, it implies how Camille is just about to be pushed out and is constantly begging to be allowed in. this shows how Monet used his own personal experience in relationship with Camille to bring out the society’s relationship conflicts. This kind of conflict can be connected to Monet’s personal relationship trouble, considering that as earlier as late 1876; he fell in love with one of his dealer’s wife called Alice Hoschede with whom he sired the son Jean-Pierre (The texts of seven police reports 22).

The idea of time period

Monet’s work is very catchy in this context when he expresses the idea of time in the painting of Breakwater at Trouville, Low Tide (1870) (Poch 24). He showed his unmatched mastery skills when he replicated the level of shallowness of the ocean in low tide. The presence of the dark rock, pier, and water bank receding towards the vanishing point, the strong perspective, and a small sailboat disappearing towards the horizon adds an interesting twist to the impression Monet is trying to portray, the flow-out of water and its direction. It is also interesting to note that the two foreground fishermen indicates the lowest level of water such that they are just standing on the a pile of sand and that the bare feet is on the wet sand. The lack of shadows despite the daytime factor is meant to make water reflection stand out conspicuously. Further, the stationary-like impression made by the sails of the boats cast reinforces the shallowness of the water. Towards the right, it is easy to see the deeper water that reflects the clouds. The low tides painting clearly suggest the return of water at last, which is a big contrast from the other areas of the paintings. It is this kind of artistry that beats the odds of time by illustrating the different moments in time, portraying the idea of eternity in this water scenery (Forge & Robert 25). This is a clear paradox as Monet transfigures the time limit impressions into limitless impressions in just one painting (27).

The idea of fine art

Hotel des Roches Noires- Truoville is a painting where Monet characteristically flies his flag in Paris salon. The flag portrays the motion and its vibrancy in an interesting manner, with its original composition that clearly counterbalances the strong and conspicuous perspective lines that lie in the right and bottom parts of the canvas, and in a manner that can be sensed “as snapping in the wet ocean breeze” (Stuckey 226). The lines that suggest the receding gaslights on the left, the centered pathway, and the mirror-like visible hotel on the right, simply meet at a convergence point and vanishes all together (228). However, to keep the viewer to the scene, Monet brings out the “white canopy that halts the time recession” (Forge & Robert 31). Such artistry is emphasized by his cropping of the hotel to the right and the use of sharp angle for the sun and shadow (32). The imagery of a strong sunlight right over the shoulder creates a shadow towards the right corner of the canvas, making the viewer have the impressive view that the building goes beyond what he or she is able to see. All over sudden, Monet introduces the viewers into a particular painting that gives the picture a very powerful and important perspective.

Monet has successfully brought out the skills of finesse in artwork that can make anyone who is not visually impaired get the cheerful feelings of warmth and creativity that everyone will feel is inviting Pioch (33) says “the delicacy of Monet’s composition can be comprehended by the mental removal of the figures from the scene. As Tucker (229) puts it, “immediately, the entire feelings of warmth are lost and the viewer’s participation in the painting is revoked.” In this sense, it is important to note that Monet has achieved one of his main intentions by the use of fine art: evoking the composition and sensation of an easy stroll along the coastal sceneries of France.

The political view of war: Franco- German War

Monet took refuge in England after the Franco- German war breakout in July, 1870. However, in May 1871, he relocated to Zaandam and did about 25 paintings and this made the police to suspect him of revolutionary activities (Stuckey 71). Monet’s artworks in London were like the Hyde Park painting of 1871, with an indicator of some beautiful views of the Westminster Bridge and the House of parliament. This shows his expression of the political class and the war between nations that initially lived in peace and harmony. His use of color in the fogged sky is definitely an impressionist’s idea and the parliament building does suggest sensitivity to the physical and political presence in the society. To make it more controversial, his works were banned by the authority due to the suspicion that he was an active participant in the activities of revolutionists and consequently they were not put for exhibition in the Royal Academy as expected (73). In the Westminster bridge painting, he used color in an increasing freedom, expressing a more chromatic richness in the color value.

Geography and landscape idea

In the year 1874, Monet’s work was very focused on the geography and landscape views (Poch 39) Looking at the Seine from all angles, he observed all the scenes that were visible during this summer. The creation of variety was also visible and was attributed to the changes in weather pattern and the changes they brought to a particular scene (40) However, some of the scenes were portrayed as in a restless mode of touches that he expressed with different approaches of mastery and skills. Monet, impressed by the spreading sail in the warmth, made some of the boldest simplifications, giving the river and its reflections similar and equal breadth of tone (41). This suggests how his constant practice improved the artwork that would allow him express a sweeping foreground of the river’s long curves and turbulent ripples.

Together with Renoir, they did some brilliant paintings that captured the viewers’ imaginations (Forge & Gordon 43) However, it is Monet whose work fascinated even Renoir himself as indicated in the Regatta at Argenteuil, it indicating how the two friend artists worked closely to bring some of the most unique product of art in history.

In The Highway Bridge at Argenteuil, Monet has managed to weave very complicated compositions of bands of horizons; illustrating the near shore, the water body, the far shore and the sky (Forge & Gordon 49). In this work, the line patterns and shapes are “simply overlaid” in order to give different area patterns separately (54). It is clear to note that bridge is actually dominating in this aspect, which pictorially spans the river that allows it to bind the well crafted shores. It is also seen in another perspective where it is composed of four basic aspects of this painting, giving a completely new arrangement. With the boats, it is quite interesting to see that the unique latticework of lines displayed (51).

Conclusion

In all these Monet’s works, it is visible to note that the paintings were done in and identical canvas with similar sizes and using the same points of views that clearly overlooked the entire scenes from his window (Stuckey 125). In the series, it is easy to realize that Monet expresses his views in an “envelop- like” style with some of the interactive color touch. He even uses the aspect of stationery objects with color to bring the changing aspects of our own view or how we perceive the entire paintings. In these early works, the artificial features like buildings and the natural ones like the rivers are portrayed as inert, and are completely affected by the light envelope (126). He even takes the dynamism of the use of color and its tone to bring out the uniqueness of the artworks that mainly rely on his impressions of the entire environment. What strikes most in Monet’s works is his ability to connect with the nature and invoke the feelings of belongings among the art lovers, who would find themselves immersed in these creative pieces without much knowledge as to how. This is what is made Monet stand out among many other painters.

Work cited

Mount, Charles Merrill. Monet biography, Simon and Schuster publisher, 1966, pp.309-322.
Biography for Claude Monet, Guggenheim Collection.
Pioch, Claude Nicolas.
Stuckey, Charles. Monet, a Retrospective, Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, 1995
House, John, et al.: Monet in the 20th Century, Yale University Press, 1998. Page 123- 131
Forge, Andrew & Gordon, Robert. Monet, Harry N. Abrams, 1989. Page 224
Tucker, P. Claude Monet: Life and Art, 1992, p.224-228
The texts of seven police reports, written on 2 June – 9 October 1871 are included in Monet in Holland, the catalog of an exhibition in the Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum.1986.
Monet’s gardens a draw to Giverny and to his art. Globe Correspondents. 2007.

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