Monet's Painting example essay topic

One sweltering summer day, as my mother and I were visiting the impressionism exhibit at the National Museum of Art in Washington DC, she turned to me and asked about my favorite piece of art. The impressionist artist Claude Monet immediately came into mind. He has been one of my favorite artists for my whole life. Monet's paintings radiate peace and harmony and allow the viewer to place themselves inside the scene and enjoy the sheer beauty of the setting.

Monet's refreshing scenes have created a lasting impression on me and paved the way for many other impressionist artists. Art plays a large role in me and my mother's relationship. Of her three children, I am the only one who can relate to art the way she does. This appreciation of art brings us closer together. From museums in San Francisco to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, together we have witnessed some of the greatest pieces of art in the world.

Monet is known far and wide as the official founder of Impressionism. Impressionism is, by definition, the depiction of natural objects by means of dabs or strokes of primary unmixed colors in order to simulate actual reflected light. Monet painted in a light and spontaneous manner that was down to earth and broke away from the formalism of the Academic style. As one of the first artists to paint in this way, Monet paved the way for many other artists who would paint in the same fashion. Monet's gift of vision enabled him to transfer some of the most beautiful, intriguing landscapes of his estate in France onto canvas. When his paintings are viewed close, it seems impossible that the globs of paint could actually be seen as anything more than a complete eyesore.

Monet's impressionistic style allowed him to create enormous light while at the same time casting dim shadows of darkness. Monet was most comfortable painting landscapes, where he was able to depict various natural elements by transitioning colors to represent movement. Water flows with the current and the trees and grass ruffle in the wind. If you placed yourself inside one of his paintings, you would be able to feel a light summer breeze. The sun warms your hair as you gaze at the water lilies floating peacefully on the river. As you step into the water, the tingling sensation refreshes you.

Monet's works have intrigued me ever since I first witnessed some of his paintings in person. From a distance the picture is absolutely beautiful but close up it is nothing more than a blurred glob of paint. How an artist can do that is amazing! Every painting of his has a different and profound effect on me and I can relate to all of them. I pondered there for a minute in the museum, reflecting upon my mother's question, then glanced up to see one of Monet's first pieces, entitled, Water Lilies With Clouds. Water Lilies with clouds depicts the lagoon outside of Monet's French estate on a warm and sunny summer afternoon.

The scene is filled with refreshing colors such as blue and green. He uses warm tones sparingly, mixing green and red to create a neutral brown that represents murkiness in the composition of the painting. The warm blue and green tones represent calmness and serenity, but as the colors get darker towards the top of the painting, visibility is reduced. The somber waters are a place that allows the viewer to store their own inhibitions and worries. Monet describes his work as different hues of colors that, when put together in an organized fashion, make up an object (Pioch, Nicolas).

When he's painting, he doesn't see a subject as a flower on a lily pad, he sees a mass of red and white colors mixed together situated near blue colors, which make the flower stand out. It gives the impressions of a flower on a lily pad. Monet's goal isn't to simply see an object and paint it in the traditional sense of drawing the object and coloring it in. Instead, Monet strategically places different, contrasting colors next to each other that, when viewed from a distance, form different objects.

The focal point of the painting is the dark murky area in the upper region. There is a sharp contrast between the light blue water and the dark and dense upper zone. The darkness of is Monet's way of expressing his innermost feelings. He paints with an impressionistic approach, focusing on colors alone. By making the focal point dark, Monet is sub-conscience ly placing his emotions on his palette and then painting them on the canvas surface for the world to see. The darkness could represent a plethora of emotions, ranging from grief to depression, from fear to sadness.

In contrast, the cool, pleasant sky is reflected on the smooth glassy water like a mirror, giving Monet's painting a more dynamic, three dimensional feel. The clouds are marshmallows, light and fluffy, appearing as if one could jump from cloud to cloud. Flowers on the water lilies stand out because of the sharp contrast of the whites and pinks. The warm scene, outside of the darkness of the murky waters, is how I image paradise. Peace, serenity, and tranquility are just some of the emotions the scene generates inside me. The texture of Water Lilies with Clouds is what makes it stand out from the thousands of other paintings.

Monet's impressionistic form allowed him to crudely slop paint of various colors to the places he wished. This style created a texture that was so rough, the viewer could actually see the brush marks if they looked close enough. How amazing it is to get close enough to the art to see the texture! It's as if you can see Monet's brush still at work!

The scene Monet paints onto his canvass seems to be missing an important artistic feature: a centralized subject. This was an intentional strategy Monet used that allowed the viewer to place themselves inside the painting and become the primary motif. It sends a strong message to the views. We must not be a passive figure while viewing art.

We must take a step farther and step inside the art, place ourselves inside the art, and feel what the painting feels. Only when we submerge ourselves within a painting can we truly appreciate it and understand it.

Bibliography

Artists by movement, Impressionism". Art Cyclopedia. Berger, John. "Ways of Seeing". Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers. Ed. David Bartholamae, Anthony Petro sky. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's 2002.
105-127 Monet, Claude. "Water Lilies with Clouds". Private collection Pioch, Nicolas. "Monet, Claude". Web Museum Paris. September 2002.