IntroductionThis month we will look at one of the famous water lily paintings by Claude Monet, the French painter whose work gave a name to the art movement Impressionism. Monet was born on in 1840, in Paris, France. After an art exhibition in 1874, a critic insultingly dubbed Monet's painting style "Impression," since it was more concerned with form and light than realism, and the term stuck.
Monet gained financial and critical success during the late 1880s and 1890s, and started the serial paintings for which he would become well-known. In Giverny, he loved to paint outdoors in the gardens that he helped create there. The water lilies found in the pond had a particular appeal for him, and he painted several series of them throughout the rest of his life. As he grew older, his eyesight became impaired, and considerable discussion has surrounded the impact the advancing cataracts had on his work. (Many of us can relate to that dilemma). Monet struggled with depression, poverty and illness throughout his life. He died in 1926.
As you consider this artwork from a critical perspective, you can review some of the resources linked below, which include some short videos, histories, and analyses. Here are some questions to guide your thinking. Respond to any or all as you see fit, or pursue some other line of discussion.
Questions to Consider:1. What do you think of the composition? The colors? The detail? The depth of field? Would you want this painting on your wall? Why or why not?
2. In what ways does Monet’s work influence or inform photography? Are there places in the world of photography for impressionistic work? Explain your thoughts.
3. Look at some of the other images in the long series of water lily paintings. What changes do you note in the body of work over time? Do you think his visual problems influenced his work? Explain your thinking. (Bonus points if you’ve dealt with visual problems yourself and can tell us whether/how these problems influenced your own work.)
4. There is controversy around every corner about the thin line between photography and other arts. For some photographers, editing photos to make them more like paintings is inherently wrong. Yet, software companies make considerable profit from programs like Topaz Impression that do just that. What is your opinion of such undertakings, and do you indulge in them? If so, would you share an image you’ve edited in an impressionistic manner.
5. There are also ways to use specific shooting strategies to capture an impressionistic type image SOC. Have you ever attempted this? If so, can you explain how you did it and share a sample resulting from this undertaking?
Links for Further Studyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Lilies_(Monet_series)
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/16568/water-lilieshttps://www.claude-monet.com/waterlilies.jsphttps://www.moma.org/collection/works/80220https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/avant-garde-france/impressionism/v/monet-les-nymph-as-the-water-lilies-1918-26https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/claude-monets-water-lilieshttp://www.visual-arts-cork.com/paintings-analysis/water-lilies-monet.htm