Thursday, October 4, 2007

Monet Painted Big







7 comments:

Nathalie VB said...

One thing that strikes me about Monet is the way he utilized the series to convey changes in light during different times of the day/seasons/types of weather. (I'm thinking of the haystacks in particular, of which I think there are 25 paintings). This repitition of subject matter is especially interesting to me because I do not tend to work thematically. I typically finish one thing and move on to something different. I am intrigued by his commitment to one single subject- and the way he is able to represent the way we perceive even the most mundane things in various, unique, exciting ways due to environmental changes.

Anonymous said...

What I love about these paintings is the really bright solid color. While some artists take colors and slowly transform their shade monet makes changes shade energetically by painting solid colors next to eachother. Like Nathalie I also think his repitition of subject matter shows his attention to detail. Each time of day brings out new colors and entirely different energy.

Mary M. said...

Does anyone know how Monet painted "en plein air" and on such a large scale? The haystacks in the winter and are especially puzzling to me.

I also would like to say that the last painting of the people in the street has a really interesting perspective. I wonder where he was to capture this bird's eye view.

Rachel Gelenius said...

Like Nathalie, I am fascinated by Monet's use of color to convey the variation in light during different times of the day and seasons -- the same subject can have some many different moods depending on the way color is used. I think his series of the cathedral is particularly interesting and can be read emotionally in many different ways due to the differences in color and light -- it makes me want to play more with color and mood in my paintings.

Sarah T said...

I'm really intrigued by the way that Monet paints with the layering of colors. I feel like capturing these scenes on a large canvas would be hard since he would have to stand back many times while painting it to get the entire view of the piece. I also love how when you go up close to these paintings, that there are mixtures of colors that I never would have thought to be hidden in there. From far away, the colors all blends to give you an impression of the scene.

Selene said...

Monet’s first love was apparently gardening. He left the Paris area and bought this land at Giverny beccause of the gardening. As the years went by, and he did most of the planting himself, his eyesight failed him and henceforth we get these wonderful impressionistic images of the gardens around him. He knew his eyesight was failing and he wanted to have lots of material to paint around him when he could not leave the house very well. He just wanted to get around his gardens. In his case, I would consider that much of his style was developed out of physcial necesssity. He early on loved the starck lines and crisp edges of the Japanese woodcuts. In his home in Giverny they are displayed on the walls going up the staircase. Interesting contrast to his own style but much literature on him says he was strongly influenced by them. Selene\

Hedda said...

You must look at Monet's paintings "in the flesh" because the reproductions of his work cannot show the many colors his brush strokes combine to achieve what you see. His "hazey" shades are in reality many colors and your vision combines them. I particularly like the peace of his paintings. Easy to live with.