Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Sunrise and the Water Lilies, Monet


The above painting by Claude Monet is my boyfriend's favorite piece of art. Since everyone really was curious about that fun fact. 

It's impressionist style does not directly portray nature in realistic terms, but the suggestions and emotions that come from this painting still remain highly effective and evocative. Most interesting part of the painting is the strong orange orb, the representation of the rising sun over the water. It's choppy reflection in the sea and its exceptionally solid form in the sky draws one's eye immediately. With Monet's wispy brush strokes, the swirling mix of colors so often seen with sunrise and sunset are understood. 


Monet's Water Lilies are some of the most famous pieces of his work. He painted many different varieties and used this subject matter many times. As an impressionist, it was not the direct detail of the water lilies that he was aiming to capture on his canvas. He enjoyed the playing of light around these flowers as they floated on water. As evident in the above painting, his work not only depicts the water lilies themselves but also the reflection of a shore-bound tree in the water.  In this way, though not accurate in precise detail, Monet stays true to the appearance of the natural world. 

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