NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Claude Monet Claude Monet was one of the worlds famous French artists. He had influenced greatly one significant period of cultural growth called Impressionism. One book by Raymond Cogniat, called Monet and His World highlights the story of the maestro and his artistic achievements. This lively illustrated book is written with great detail. Using explanations, illustrations, pictures and paintings, Cogniat helps to illustrate not only the life of Monet, but also the world of Impressionism, art and French society during Monet's time. You are thrust into the life of this painter and his frame of mind throughout the various stages in his life.
Cogniat discusses a vast variety of artistic techniques and movements. He aids us in understanding Monet's motives and life behind the paintings I have learned a great deal about impressionism from this books and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in impressionist art. The Industrial revolution brought up some drastic changes to European society. It sparked interest in new ideas and need in new developments.
Industrial revolution originated a new form of art called impressionism and influenced many specialists in this field. Impressionism flourished out of the art form of Realism. The word impressionist came from the title of Monet's painting Impressionism of the Rising Sun. This painting shows that the artists intention was to show the landscape as his personal impression. In 1874, a group of young painters organized an exhibit with art that broke the established customs and appeared revolutionary. This group included two of the most famous artists Oscar-Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
When critics first viewed the new art form in the nineteenth century, they were appalled. It was viewed as a disgrace to the accepted classic art form. These painters tried to give vivid impressions o! f people and places as they might appear in a brief glance. Impressionist studied light and color and experimented with small patches of different colors placed side by side to create shimmering effects. They derived new concepts from the lessons of the past and the present.
Impressionist painted their art in the wide openness of the outdoors. They believed that they could capture the full effect of the objects that they are painting. Many artists tried to capture the beauty of inanimate objects, such as nature or landmarks, but artist such as Renoir seek the beauty in the human body. The art of the nineteenth century gave an opening the larger freedom of the individual human being. (Finley) Oscar-Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris. Monet describes himself as being a lone, independent spirit and untutored genius (Mannering, 1996). As a young man, Monet had achieved fame as cartoonist and instant portraitist.
His cartoonist led to his encounter with Eugene Boudin, who took his paints and worked outside directly with nature. Monet soon became convert to working in the open air with nature. This refers to the thought that most impressionist worked outdoors. Monet began to work in the studio and made friends with his future fellow Impressionists Renoir. Monet appointed himself leader of the group that he worked with in the studio. After the Franco-Prussian War, Monet along with friends went to Argenteuil.
Argenteuil became the headquarters for Impressionism and separated itself from the traditional art academies. One of his famous paintings of the time period, which is now placed in French gallery, expressed the Bridge at Argenteuil. From the doorway, A Bridge at Argenteuil, oil on canvas painting from 1874, is visible, but remains unnoticed in the large collection of French landscapes and sculptures. Light sifts through the single window, reflecting off the wood paneled floor, lighting up the French landscapes and the island of sculptures in the center. White in color, the walls assist in setting the tone of the upper middle class viewers of the past.
Abstractions of nature and man, the paintings themselves tell the story of 19 th century France. The upper middle class bourgeois of the 1800 s, sees the slightly altered view of reality as their own perspective, separated from that of the peasant. The setting of an elegant dining room in a French villa, aids the collection of art in putting forth the status of the up and coming bourgeoisie, and their cultural background. As there are no benches in this room, one must stand and observe the room to feel the elegance of the 19 th century French villa. (Finley) In the far corner of the adjacent wall to Monet's A Railroad Bridge at Argenteuil, lies The Sheltered Path, another of Monet's works. Painted on canvas in 1873, this painting depicts a man of unknown class following a protected path.
A natural alignment of trees and bushes painted with soft brush strokes of blue, green, and a hint of red, lines the endless dirt path. As the viewers eye follows the path, small patches of bright grass attract sunlight among the shaded bushes on the right. A man, simple and dark in figure, walks toward the soft, faded sky. The entire composition is rather calm, with the figure looking away from the viewer. It is richly painted, and everything is cast in a soft bluish green light, which texturally is characteristic of Monet's style. (Guzman, 1986) Monet's works express a pantheistic style full of freedom.
His works demonstrate a vision like canvas of Impressionism, the colors separate into their own elements. He shows less interest in detailed description but more in the true way objects appear. Many of his paintings show both the daylight and the moonlight reflecting on the object; therefore the colors and their appearance become more important than the object. The theme of all of his works is the interplay of reflection and reality. The works of Monet are a reflection of the happy period after the Industrial Revolution that was free from material worries. Monet was the only figure of the Impressionist movement that remained true to the Impressionists view of nature.
Claude Monet was and always will be considered the greatest Impressionists of all time because of his beautiful contributions the artistic world. Bibliography: Raymond Cogniat, Monet and His World. Cambridge, 1966. Yan Guzman, The World of Impressionism. New York: Viking Press, 1986.
Will Finley, Figures of French Impressionism, from National Geographic Magazine, issue April, 1998. Claus Mannering, Claude Monet, Ottawa: Blitz Print, 1996.
Free research essays on topics related to: nineteenth century, claude monet, upper middle class, industrial revolution, 19 th century
Research essay sample on Upper Middle Class 19 Th Century
