Charing Cross Bridge

The effects of light depicted by Claude Monet are in many cases breathtaking. Some of these effects were only apparent for a few minutes every day and required Monet to return and observe and paint it at that time. Others were less difficult to find and thus to paint. In general, the series paintings of Monet, like his depictions of Parlaiment in London and Haystacks in France, were more extreme in the lighting conditions displayed than the Water Lily paintings. These last were in turn more subtle.

 

One of the most magnificent depictions of lighting effects by Monet can be found in the painting Charing Cross Bridge. Painted by Monet in 1899, it depicts this bridge under very special lighting conditions. It is an early, foggy morning with mist rising from the river. The combination of the early morning light with the misty and foggy conditions allows for a very special light that gets reflected in the water particles in the air. The result is a fairly low visibility combined with a bluish light that dominates wherever you look.

 

As the day wore on, the heat of the sun would of course clear up this particular sight and scene, but at this time in the morning, probably only for a very short time, the landscape seen from the point of Monet was bluish in color and a fantastic sight. It was one of the great gifts of Monet that he was not only able to recognize such beauty but also able to depict it with such accuracy.

 

Claude Monet Reproductions are available and Charing Cross Bridge can today been seen at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, Spain.

Monet Garden in Japan

One of the most celebrated single settings for paintings in art history is Monet’s garden in Giverny. Here, Monet himself worked for more than 20 years to create his amazing Water Lily paintings, among other. Other artists joined in as well, with the likes or Renoir dropping by to paint e.g. Girl with a Watering Can in the famous garden.

However, as famous as Claude Monet paintings garden in Giverny is, it may still come as a surprise to most that it has actually copied down to the latest detail on a different continent, Japan. The Japanese has build Garden of Monet Marmottan in the village of Katagawa. This is a complete reproduction of the original Monet garden, complete with pathways, flowers, plants, ponds and of course the Japanese bridge. In order to ensure the highest possible level of authenticity, the work was thus supported by Mr Gérald Van Der Kemp, the first curator of the Monet Foundation in Giverny. Through these efforts, a complete replica garden can now be visited in Japan.

One might not think that there is such interest in a French Impressionist who lived a century ago in today’s Japan. That would be an obvious and easy conclusion, and as such, also quite wrong. The Garden of Monet in Japan was in fact visited by more than 200.000 people in its first year alone. That is a massive interest in a recreated French garden, and its stems from the kinship the Japanese feel for Monet. He was himself inspired by Japanese painting and art, and had numerous Japanese prints in his house in Giverny. This inspiration shines through in his art, in its simplicity of subject and his choice of angles, and this in turn allows the Japanese to recognize something of their own in the art of Monet. The inspiration went beyond the pure artistc, however, as is attested by the presence of the Japanese bridge in Monet’s garden. The garden in Katagawa has one of these too!

Monet's Japanese Bridge

Claude Monet loved to paint in and around the surroundings of his house in Giverny, France. One of the subjects that you find in many of his paintings from this period is The Japanese bridge which was one of Monet's favourite features in his garden. read the full article of Monet's Japanese Bridge

haystacks in the village of Giverny

Claude Monet completed a series of paintings between 1890 and the spring of 1891 of the haystacks in the village of Giverny where he later purchased a house. The haystacks of Giverny with modern farming techniques are no longer there but Monet's representation lives on. read the full article of Monet and the Haystacks of Giverny.

Antibes Seen From the Salis Gardens

As one of the founders of impressionism, indeed the one whose painting lend its name to the movement, Monet was also the most consistent practitioner of the impressionist philosophy of depicting your perception of nature in outdoor landscape paintings. This led to a number of studies of singular subjects like haystacks and the house of parliament but also to broader landscape paintings, some of which a true treasures of the art world.

 

Among these, we find beautiful depictions like “Antibes Seen From the Salis Gardens”. Monet painted a number of paintings in 1888 depicting Antibes from different angles and times and this painting belongs to that series. It offers a beautiful morning view of Antibes, with the rising sun lighting up the sky and the tree in the garden directly in front of Monet, as well as the town of Antibes behind it. The depiction of this morning light is exquisite and brings with it a sense of warmth and joy. It is a positive image of optimism and bliss.

 

The depiction is done with the delicate expert brush strokes of Claude Monet paintings. This helps to add to the impression, as photo-clear depiction lends way to a focus on colors and light. This masterpiece of impressionism can today be found at the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio.

An example of Color Art?

I saw a question today on Yahoo answers which I think deserves mentioning. It was whether Impression Sunrise by Claude Monet was an example of Color Art?

Now, first of all, what color art consists of would be the first question to ask. That was however not clarified. As such, there are really two options. Either we are talking about whether the painting is in color (which it most definitely is) or whether it can be consider color realism along the lines of e.g. Dutch master Vermeer (which it can most definitely not be). So I guess the main question is down to a definition of what is really asked.

At the least, I must say that any argument to the fact that due to its limited use of color, employing mainly a blue-grey color with the sun mainly standing out, obviously have not experienced sunrise across the harbor in Le Havre and how the light and fog interacts to create such effects. Such studies of light be the artist was actually the main subject for Monet, with the artists neutrality in forming the impression assured. As such, this is actually a study of light and color generated by certain conditions. So from here, color art it is. See more Claude Monet reproductions and brighten up your home with Impression Sunrise.

Autumn in Argentuil

Sometime you find a painting that is just right, where the artist has truly understood their subject and in turn created a timeless masterpiece that truly captures their context completely. Autumn in Augentuil is just such a painting. Painted by Monet in 1873, the year after he completed Impression Sunrise but still a year before it was first publicly displayed, Monet committed this masterpiece. It depicts a view of Argentuil, seen further down the Seine, which is in turn surrounded by trees. It is fall. The orange and yellow colors of the trees clearly show that. It is also early morning. The reflections in the water and the sky indicate as much but, much more impressively, the light in the painting itself clearly indicate that this is the dawn of a new day. Perfect choice for a Claude Monet reproduction painting.

This last is strictly due to the mastery of Monet. He studied the effects of light under different conditions and most of his paintings deals with this. This is no exception as in “Autumn in Argentuil”, he to perfection captured the light and feel of a clear autumn morning at Argentuil. You can almost feel the chill morning air against your skin and see the sun rising and you gaze at this masterpiece. A master of light effects displaying his skills to the world.

Autumn in Argentuil can today be found on display at the Courtauld Institute Galleries in London, UK.

Agapanthus (Flower of the Nile)

Claude Monet spend the majority of his last 20 years as a painter depicting his garden at his house in Giverny. Among his favorite motives here were his famous water lilies, for which he had established a pond at the back of the house. However, Monet’s garden contained much more than just the lilies. He was an avid garden enthusiast and was always looking to expand the wealth of plants there.

Agapanthus, also known as the Flower of the Nile, is a plant native to South Africa, though it can be cultivated for more varied climates. Monet brought Agapanthus to be included in his garden, and in Agapanthus he depicts them interacting with his well known water lilies. The painting contains several Monet characteristics. First and foremost, the depiction of light off the face of the water and among the Agapanthus is extraordinary, the work of a true master. The painting also features the small light brush strokes that Monet and the impressionists in general favored. It is an showcase of Monet’s mastery of both. Have your own Claude Monet reproductions of your favourite Monet.

Monet and the Rouen Cathedral

Another subject for Claude Monet paintings was the cathedral in Rouen. As with the other of Monet’s series of work, it is painted at different times of the year, different times of the day and under different lighting conditions. This last, the light, was very important for Monet, as a series of paintings like these for Monet were in essence a study of the effects of light (unlike e.g. Van Gogh who happily painted and repainted Sunflowers under the same conditions). However, painting the cathedral did not come easily. As Monet himself noted about the project, “Things don’t advance very steadily, primarily because each day I discover something I hadn’t seen the day before… In the end, I am trying to do the impossible.”

The Rouen Cathedral series in the end consisted of more than thirty paintings, all completed by Claude Monet in 1892-93. For the purpose of painting this series, Monet during this time setup a temporary studio across the street from the cathedral. In 1985, Monet picked tool his favorite 20 from among the series and exhibited them with his art dealer, resulting in the sale of 8 of the paintings. The series was at this time also praised highly by Pisarro and Cezanne who both visited the exhibition.

Today, as with all great art, the series is mostly spread out across the world. However, at least 6 of the paintings are currently on display at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris or own your very own art reproductions.

The Artists House at Argenteuil

With the beginning of the 1870s, the artistic focus of Claude Monet had moved beyond the salons of Paris and into the open air. This was also the only place to truly pursue the artists fascination with the effects of light on the subject matter.


In the summer of 1873, Monet spend the summer with his family in Argenteuil, a small town just a short train ride outside of Paris. There, while cultivating and growing the garden and enjoying his new surroundings, Monet also painted his surroundings. The Artists House at Argenteuil is part of the work done by Monet this summer.

The painting depicts the Monet family during this time. Monet’s wife Camille can be seen standing in the drroway while his son Jean is playing outside with a hoop. Painted with the characteristic short brush strokes of Monet, the paintings overall emotional message is one of harmony and peace. The colors and varied but warm, with even the shades possessing warm earthen hues. It is as if Monet wished to preserve every aspect of this time, executing the time to perfection in this painting.

Today, the Artists House at Argenteuil is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago and is a popular Claude Monet painting.