Impression Sunrise

What can be said about the painting that lend its name to the whole impressionist movement? One of the most iconic images of the art world, with an eternal appeal? Claude Monet’s Impression Sunrise is all that and more. Painted in 1872 and showing the entrance to the harbor in Le Havre, Impression Sunrise was first exhibited in Paris  in 1874 in what was to be the first showing by the impressionists. It was also here that art critic Louis Leroy, not to impressed with what was on display, titled his review "The Exhibition of the Impressionists", more to mock than to salute. However, the artists themselves liked the term and held on to it.

Monet himself said the following about the painting and its name:

“Landscape is nothing but an impression, and an instantaneous one, hence this label that was given us, by the way because of me. I had sent a thing done in Le Havre, from my window, sun in the mist and a few masts of boats sticking up in the foreground....They asked me for a title for the catalogue, it couldn't really be taken for a view of Le Havre, and I said: 'Put Impression”.

It is often commented that the sun seems almost alive in Impression Sunrise; that the painting has an unreal quality that is hard to define. This effect comes from a peculiar result of the brightness employed in the painting. The sun and the clouds around it share the same brightness. In fact, if you take a black and white copy of the painting, the sun is not visible at all. In the human brain, the older part of the brain that we share with other mammals has a visual that only registers luminance and not color. That makes the sun invisible to that part of our brain. However, the newer part of the visual cortex, found only in humans and primates, can perceive colors. It is this conflict between these two parts of our brain that gives this living quality to the work.

Impression Sunrise can today be found on display at the Musée Marmottan in Paris.

Monet's Poplars

Monet painted a number of painting series, illustrating the effects of different lighting conditions on a subject. Among the most famous of these are the paintings of The house of Parliament in London and the paintings of Rouen Cathedral. However, before Claude Monet painted such permanent motives, he also did series characterized by a more open air feel. Among the first, we find Poplars, which was painted by Monet in the summer and fall of 1891.

The paintings depict a single file of Poplar trees standing on the edge of the Epte river, near the artists house in Giverny. The river forms an s-curve at this point, thus allowing the Poplars to dominate both the foreground and background of the painting. The paintings were done on a flooding studio that Monet had moored off the bank of the river, and to which he commuted by a small boat. However, before he had finished painting the series, the trees were offered for sale on auction by the commune of Limetz, on whose ground they rested. This led to Monet himself having to buy the trees in order to finish the paintings. He afterwards sold them to a lumber merchant. Maybe this experience was part of the reason why Monet picked more established subjects like a cathedral and a house of parliament for later series?

The Poplar series is among the earliest by Monet, and shows the Artists in his favorite outdoor element, depicting the effects of light on the French countryside. Today, the paintings can be found at leading art museums across the world, including in Philadelphia, Tokyo and Edinburgh.

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.

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.