Monet is known for his subtle yet slightly visible brush strokes. Their fine execution is a characteristic trait of Claude Monet Paintings. Indeed, there are very few exceptions to this dedicated style, but they do in fact exist. Example in point is the painting “Camille Monet on her Deathbed”, which Monet painted in 1879 of Camille as she lay dying of Tuberculosis.
In the painting, we see Camille laying dying on her deathbed. The brush strokes with which this is conveyed are often large and quite dominant. Especially the white covering her but also the figure slightly visible in the upper right corner is depicted with these powerful strokes. The coloring is also very black and white, with very few colors and a sense of loss dominating the palette. The authenticity of this coloring can certainly be questioned; whether it really looked like this or whether Monet himself mere wanted to express this feeling he had when looking at his dying wife, seemingly alone in her suffering. It is as if the great loss of his wife has made Monet temporarily forego some of the doctrines of impressionism and has moved much closer to the future movement of expressionism, with a clear sense of loss in both the coloring and the lack of lines. Monet’s great sorrow has so to speak let him abandon his clear ideals in through this detour, he is actually moving closer to future artistic movements than we would see this dedicated impressionist do for the remainder of his career.
“Camille Monet on her Deathbed” can today be found at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France.
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