Introduction to Monet’s works

Which Monet work do you want an introduction to, or all his works?

Let me first tell you about his masterpiece "Sunrise Impression".

"Sunrise Impression" is a sketch painted by Monet in the port of Havre in 1873. He also painted "Sunset" at the same place. When it was sent to the first Impressionist exhibition, neither painting had a title. A journalist satirized Monet's paintings as "a denial of beauty and truth, which can only give people an impression." Monet then gave this painting a title - "Sunrise Impression". As a seascape sketch, the entire picture is shrouded in thin gray tones, and the brushstrokes are very random and messy, showing a scene of mist blending. At sunrise, the sea is foggy, and the water reflects the colors of the sky and the sun. The scenery on the shore is vague and blurry, giving people a momentary feeling. "Sunrise·Impression" depicts the scene of the port at sunrise shrouded in morning fog. Among the tones composed of lavender, reddish, blue-gray and orange, a vibrant red sun rises slowly, dragging a wisp of orange-yellow waves in the sea water. The sea water, sky and scenery are intertwined and integrated in the relaxed style of writing. The three small boats in the offshore gradually became blurred in the mist, and the buildings, ports, cranes, ships, masts, etc. in the distance were also dimly visible in the morning light. All this was painted by the artist looking out of a window. Such bold use of "scattered" brushstrokes to show the scene of mist blending. This is an artistic rebellion for the artists of the Salon School, who have always been orthodox. This painting is completely driven by a momentary visual experience and a lively and vivid painting mood. The cautious and clear outlines and dull and rigid tones that were respected by official academic art in the past have disappeared. This rebellious painting aroused official opposition. When Monet and a group of young painters held an exhibition in 1874, this "Sunrise Impression" was slandered and ridiculed. Some critics said sarcastically: "The rough wallpaper is more complete than this seascape!" Some even used the title of this painting to refer to the young artists led by Monet as "Impressionists", so "Impressionism" became won the laurels of this painting school. The painting was robbed in 1985 and was seized from a villa in Corsica on December 6, 1990, according to the French Stolen Art Detective Agency.

Claude Monet was born in Paris, France in 1840. In his early years, he studied painting with the landscape painter Boudin, and in 1862 he entered Gleier's studio to study. He could not agree with the academic artistic tastes, so he angrily left Gleier's studio two years later and began to explore independent painting techniques. In 1874, Monet initiated and organized the first Impressionist exhibition. In this painting exhibition, Monet's "Sunrise Impression" caused a strong shock in the European painting world. Monet also became famous in one fell swoop. At that time, under the influence of the Barbizon painters who painted outdoors, Monet began to pay attention to the complex colors of the sky, atmosphere and figures in the lighting of nature. These painting techniques, which target the changes in light and color in nature, are not easy to achieve. In 1866, after Monet completed "Woman in the Garden", he painted another "Breakwater" in Honfleur. At that time, because the list was mixed up, it was almost regarded as a work by Manet and was first appreciated by the audience. Judging from the depiction of air and reflection in this "Breakwater", Monet's "Impressionist" style has initially taken shape. At this time, the Battle of Sedan broke out. Monet fled France and lived in Amsterdam to avoid the war, and later went to England. London, the foggy capital of England, stimulated his addiction to painting, and he gradually learned to express the scenery hidden in the smoke. He painted many sketches in Hyde Park and on the Thames. The diffuse light makes it easy for the painter to use his small brushstrokes. At this time, under the introduction of Daubigny, he met Durand-Rue, a famous art dealer in the history of Impressionist painting. In 1871, before leaving London, he became deeply interested in the works of the British landscape painting master Turner. He deeply felt that Turner's exterior lighting performance was excellent. In the same year, he returned to Paris.

Paris has been baptized by the violence of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune, and the Third Republic has just been established on the ruins of the dynasty. Only Manet enjoys a high reputation in the painting world. Monet decided to leave Paris and devote himself to the depiction of fields, skies and rivers in the countryside. After the exhibition of "Sunrise·Impression", it was publicly attacked by the society. Louis Leroy, the reporter of "Noisy" magazine who satirized this painting with "Impression", originally used this to accuse Monet of "denial of beauty and truth", but this name has since become famous in the history of painting, becoming It has become a glorious symbol with great appeal. The derogatory connotation of the word "Impressionism" has completely disappeared, even though not even half of the 70 paintings in the exhibition room were sold. This painting is the first work of Impressionism painting, and it marks the emergence of Impressionism painting. It quickly became a worldwide painting school with far-reaching influence. It emphasizes the light and color of nature and takes the changes of light and color as the mainstream of painting. Monet is considered to be the first Impressionist master to use outdoor light techniques in painting. From an artistic point of view, he opposed the orthodox classical academic school at that time and opposed the increasingly clichéd and artificial Romanticism (Romanticism). As an art trend, Impressionism painting plays an important role in the history of world art. It promoted the innovation of art techniques and the change of concepts in the future, and had an important influence on painters from various countries.