Appreciating World Famous Paintings -- Monet

Author: [Dutch] Van Gogh
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Monet was undoubtedly a creative genius in visual observation. He excelled at discovering phenomena that previous artists had never noticed from the interplay of light and color, thereby finding the most suitable brightness differences for depicting light and color. He composed scenes of objects, water, and sky, creating a cohesive effect with foreground, background, and midground. Geometric perspective gave way to the flow of air and the jumps of color, yet still presented clear subjects. However, he remained realistic, like all Impressionist painters, faithful to everything in natural scenes, emphasizing outdoor sketches, and in his works, he focused more on natural light, denying the original color of objects. The color of objects depended on the reflection of light, so the colors changed with the light. That is why in Monet's later works, we see numerous series of works depicting the same subject, all pursuing the fleeting effects of nature. He created 20 versions of Notre-Dame de Rouen in different tones and moods. The grand architecture was almost completely washed away by intense light, as if the structure of the buildings themselves were wrapped in layers of thick light, dazzling to the eye. This fantastical color gives the Water Lilies series he created in his later years an illusory realism, which is utterly enchanting. The Water Lilies series is displayed on the walls of the elliptical room in the Orangerie Museum in Paris. When visitors stand in the space, they are as if surrounded by boundless waters and lotuses, immersed in a tranquil and serene atmosphere, conquered by Monet.