Painting Of Water Lilies example essay topic

773 words
"Water Lilies" a painting by Claude Monet Claude Monet's painting are among the most well known and enjoyed works of art. On display at the Atkins-Nelson art gallery is one of Monet's painting titled "Water lilies", which is one of the forty eight painting of the pond. Many of Monet's art work was done in his studio, at his home, with his landscape being the subject. Monet was born in Paris in 1840 and moved to Le Havre when he was a child. It was there where he produced his first paintings. Monet traveled regularly between the coast and the city of Paris in order to study, paint and exhibit with other artists.

It was in Monet's back yard that the series of forty eight canvases known as "Water lilies" was painted. In his paintings he concentrated on the enlarged pond with its floating pads and blossoms set in many clusters against the reflections of trees and the sky. The lily pads and blossoms are softly and gently implied rather then clear. Blurred in such a way to leave yourself to imagine, and to see the beauty that welds them all together. When evaluating this painting keeping in mind only the painting itself (formal criticism).

I would have to say it is a good painting, very interesting in the way light, shadows, and reflection are produced in this painting. Evaluating with contextual criticism, my opinion would still be the same, keeping in mind the other forty seven "Water lilies" painting I have seen in books makes the painting even more interesting, even more beautiful. I enjoy nature paintings, especially with water, such as ponds, and streams. I believe that in this particular painting time period would not matter as much, nature relatively stays the same.

Monet's palette tended warm and cool colors. The painting "Water Lilies" had more pastel light colors, such as greens, pinks, grays, blues, and violet. Monet has a very distinctive brush stroke his style of painting is not formed of lines but more of light strokes, and blurred images. The emphasis was on the importance of light as the describer of the objects and light as the real subject of the picture. The painting gives a certain calmness, and relaxation to them. The painting were done outside on the site at all times of the day, so all the effects of light could be studied and translated into paint on the canvas.

At the end of the water lily pond Monet built a wooden bridge in the Japanese style. Between 1899 and 1900 he used this bridge as the subject of his first series of water lily painting, Placing it symmetrically across the middle of the canvas. Putting the bridge behind him Monet had started to focus his painting on the surface of the water, painting little but the flowers and leaves in the water. Water lilies is an oil painting, which happens to be one of the most popular painting media. Oil paint offers many different color to work with, such as the contrasting cool blues and greens with pink and orange in the pond.

The painting of water lilies to me is a excellent express of light and shadows of nature. I believe the painting are extremely beautiful, and fun to look at. The painting can almost take you away to that very place, very soothing, not dramatic bright colors. Claude Monet was an phenomenal artist of his time. He painted many wonderful nature / water scenes.

His art is recognized through out the world. He was considered to be extremely gifted on canvas. All his work has a very distinct style. I'm glad I was able to write a paper on an artist that I enjoy very much. Although Claude Monet had many struggles in his life, such as losing his wife and son, financial problems, and his health, his passion for art and nature kept him alive. He could paint light and reflection very vividly I think that in his painting he did a great job rending his ideas, with the shadows of the trees and the blossoms.

Monet is one of my all time favorite artists, I really enjoy the painting of the pond and landscape that he truly adored and painted many times. The brilliant use of blue and green he uses for the water is awesome. Claude Monet is truly a wonderful artist.