Claude Monet is generally considered to be the most outstanding figure among Impressionists. Monet’s art is based on the use of color to draw the motive without resorting to line. Monet was using short brush strokes, which often looked rather like spots of paint, not lines. This was a completely new way of painting that became the mark of Impressionism. He also produced series of paintings depicting the same scene at various times of day. His intention was to portray the different atmosphere engendered by the light at different times of day. The full version of this pack includes 270 high-quality images for your desktop. A free wallpaper utility, MoodBook, will draw pictures from this pack on your desktop, creating the wonderful look and feel of an original art gallery full of great works of art… Stormy Seascape, The Beach at Sainte-Adresse, Flowers and Fruit, Houses of Parliament, and many more
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Customer Review: Rather Poor Reproductions
An earlier reviewer made some very nice comments about the text of this book–something I’m unqualified to address because I did not read the words. My focus was on the paintings themselves, which are not well reproduced here. I have seen these same paintings in other books, and the paintings are indeed beautiful. Here, however, the colors are washed-out. If you just need a general representation of Monet’s paintings, this book might do. But if you want a much truer view of these great works, look elsewhere.
Customer Review: This is what art criticism should be like.
This book is unbelievable in its thoroughness. I read the book over 10 years ago, and I have never read another art book to match it. This books shows what happens when an inquisitive mind investigates art. It answers not only any question that you had about Monet’s art, but even those that you never thought of asking. For example it addresses the signficance of the expansion of the French Railway system, and the growth of the middle class, in defining the market for art. It addresses the canvas sizes used by Monet, and his progression from a history painter to a painter of genre paintings ( the one thing that he had in common with Degas ). I think that the important thing about this book is that it shows that a thorough intellectual non-purely visual approach can be made to the analysis of art, without the use of artspeak. The result is a book that is both readable and informs. Oh what a novelty!
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Without question Claude Monet is best known for his garden-scapes of ponds, lillies, and blankets of radiant flowers. This period of the artist’s life reflects the 40 years that he spent at his country home in Giverny, a beautiful retreat nestled on the Seine in northern France. Collected within this edition are 81 paintings from these years, accompanied with a fascinating narrative on Monet’s life, loves, and influences. Recounting Monet’s development from an Impressionist to an innovative abstractionist, the book is both informative to read, and exquisite to look at.
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Customer Review: “Metaphor for a Mood”
Claude Monet lived in rural Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926. Many of the paintings that we most closely identify with his oeuvre were done on his property or in the neighborhood. Following his death, the property deteriorated until its restoration was completed in the 1970s with the help of Lila Acheson Wallace, of Reader’s Digest fame. This book was created to in part to honor that restoration and the show that commemorated it. The show marked the beginning of a resurgence of interest in Monet that continues to grow. My only reservation about recommending this book is that it would have benefited from larger sized pages so that the reproductions could have been larger. Giverny is located to the north of Paris, and is connected to Paris by the rail line from Gare St. Lazare (which Monet painted several times). The view of nature we get there is a reflection of Monet’s very French focus on creating gardens, a lily pond, and walkways that bring natural beauty into our controlled grasp. I have had the pleasure of visiting Monet’s home at Giverny several times since it was restored and highly recommend that you make this journey as well when you are in Paris. Your concept of Monet’s work will be changed by seeing his working conditions. The grounds are primarily an extension of his studio, for making observations of nature easier. First time visitors will be shocked to realize that the lily pond was dug and expanded at great effort and expense by Monet. Without his persistence, we would be missing many of our favorite Monet paintings. Throughout the time that Monet lived in Giverny, his eyesight deteriorated . . . mostly due to cataracts. As an artist friend of mine points out, that eye affliction greatly improved his painting by making it freer and less detailed. He also pioneered many techniques of al fresco paining, such as creating an artist’s studio in a boat for his famous river scenes. This enabled him to capture many unusual perspectives from the water to the river bank. Similarly, one purpose of the Japanese bridge over his lily pond was to give him a similar point of perspective. The book contains a map of Giverny and Monet’s property (purchased in 1890 after he originally rented it), and 81 works that he created in the area. Missing from these reproductions are the famous water lily paintings that he gave to the French nation which are now housed in the basement of the Orangerie. Be sure you see them when you next visit Paris. Many people go to the Orangerie and never make it to the basement. These are among the greatest jewels of Impressionism. You will be pleased to see the 25 works from the Musee Marmottan in Paris. These masterworks are also often missed by those who visit Paris because they do not know about this small gem of a museum and its superb Monet collection. The reproductions are organized around themes: (1) river scenes (from the boat) (2) haystacks [sic] (3) poplars (4) river and fields (5) morning on the Seine (from the boat) (6) the Japanese footbridge (7) the Garden Path (8) early water lilies (9) the late series (my favorites are the rose trellises over the garden path) (10) pond subjects, and (11) late water lilies. The end of the book also has a chronology of Monet’s life and works that will help you integrate this show into his entire work. You will come away with a new excitement and respect for nature from these images. You will also feel more connected to and with the beauty of nature. Your mood will be lifted, just as Monet intended. What you see will be uniquely yours, also just as intended. Monet pays you the ultimate compliment here of letting you participate in the creative process by arranging the work in your mind to fit your mental needs and perspective. After you enjoy these images, I suggest that you come away inspired to make what you do more accessible to others. How can you make your life and your work easier for others to participate in? Live in beauty!
Customer Review: The perfect introduction to Monet–at an affordable price!
Whether you have appreciated Monet’s works for years or you are just discovering him for the first time like me, this book is a beautiful, informative collection of his best. Beyond the absolutely vivid and beautiful quality of the paintings displayed in Monet’s Years at Giverny, I greatly appreciate the style of language used throughout the book. Unlike many major art books which often seem to forget about the layman reader, this book reads more like a beautiful story of his life providing great insight into his works. In college, I was fortunate enough to see a collection of his Water Lilies in Paris. Although at the time I was amazed to see them, through Monet’s Years at Giverny I came to fully appreciate them—Not only the paintings, but the man himself. Excellent addition to any collection!
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Monet’s Waterlilies Today as the news from Selma and Saigon poisons the air like fallout, I come again to see the serene, great picture that I love. Here space and time exist in light the eye like the eye of faith believes. The seen, the known dissolve in iridescence, become illusive flesh of light that was not, was, forever is. O light beheld as through refracting tears. Here is the aura of that world each of us has lost. Here is the shadow of its joy. Robert Hayden
Claude Monet
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