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Water Lilies. Monet painted water lilies probably more than any other subject. These were one of his favorite subject, and close by; the pond in his home at Giverny gave him an always available muse. The striking colors, the sky reflected in the still waters, an image is created of a world separate from the … Continue reading
Houses of Parliament, stormy skies. A moodier tone than his other works; nature hasn’t lost all its power; this is no warm, solar benediction, there is a storm coming. The stones still stand firm, between the jaundiced skies and waters.
Houses of Parliament, sun breaking through the fog. Closer to the seat of power of the greatest Empire of the day, Monet makes the sun break through the fog which dominates all else in London. Here the empire on which the sun never set sets the tone for a much more powerful image. The stones … Continue reading
Charing Cross bridge. Monet painted over 30 works on this bridge alone. Here again, he uses the fog to his advantage. It’s later in the day, the sun is almost at its zenith and yet the mists refuse to yield their hold on the greatest metropolis of its day. Westminster in the distance becomes a … Continue reading
Charing Cross Bridge, Fog on the Thames. Monet was in London at the turn of the century and painted the foggy atmosphere like a man possessed. This work, one of many on the Charing Cross bridge typify his treatment of the subject. The fog envelops and blurs everything. The sun seems weak and almost impotent, … Continue reading
In the Norwegian. Monet painted his step-daughters often. “Here Germaine, Suzanne and Blanche Hoschedé are boating in the ‘Norwegian’, a type of wooden rowing-boat popular in France at the time. The youngest girl is standing up fishing, while her older sisters sit and relax, Blanche also trailing a rod in the river” [source]. The focus … Continue reading
Cabane des douaniers at Varengeville. Monet painted this lovely cliff-top cottage from many angles. Unlike the earlier work I posted, the cottage here does not melt into the background, it sticks out from the cliff and challenges the horizon; it’s vertical and diagonal lines contrast with the horizontal ones nature has laid out. Even the … Continue reading
On the cliff at Pourville. The afternoon haze blurs the boats as the gaze goes farther afield, the cliff is an unsteady base to stand on; and yet, I could sit on the edge of the precipice for hours, watching time sail by.
The cliffs at Etretat. Another of Monet’s favorite subjects; he painted the cliffs and the sea from all angles. Of course, this isn’t the more famous part of the cliffs, the arch (which I assume is on the other side of this angle, behind the artist) might possibly lay claim to that and Monet painted … Continue reading
City by the sea. The air is warmer in this work; the tone is summer, the breeze saturated. The tree in the foreground is suddenly what you are thankful for!
hbhatnagar 