Claude Monet and Water Lilies 1916

Transcription

1 OpenStax-CNX module: m Claude Monet and Water Lilies 1916 Erica Bazalar-Oaks This work is produced by OpenStax-CNX and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 Abstract This analysis applies "Elements of Art" on Monet's Water Lillies, painted in 1916, when he was in his thirties. Elements of the Art Version 1.1: Dec 11, :02 pm

2 OpenStax-CNX module: m Water Lillies by Claude Monet, 1916 Figure 1 I chose to analyze "The Elements of Art" in this painting, because it reminds me of the outings my family and I had in the state of Washington; when we will go with our dogs up the mountain and we will all go crazy about the water lilies that we found in the ponds and parts of the river. When you look at this painting you will perceived a dierent world and possibly wonder, if Monet felt the same. The fact that Monet's mother passed away had to have made him more sensitive as a human been inuencing his art; these events prepared him for a change in his life, he will not longer follow the crowd but a `Real Monet' was about to become. He was middle age, at this time; he also had gone to Paris and visited the Louvre noticing how all of the other painters were copying what the old masters have already done. Instead of copying, he began to go outside and painted what he saw. Monet had the guts and serenity to come forward with his own unique style. He was also at least 30 years old and becoming more mature; for most of us this is a time to organize your feelings, to seek who you truly are. Later, during the Franco-Prusian War, Monet began to express himself in a non-traditional way. After the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War (19 July 1870), Monet took refuge in England in September 1870, where he studied the works of John Constable and Joseph Mallord William Turner, both of whose landscapes would serve him to get inspire in the innovations of the study of color. In the spring of 1871, Monet's works were refused authorization for inclusion in the Royal Academy exhibition (wikipedia.org). Monet is the father of the Impressionism because he painted what he perceived from his heart in the painting not what was expected from the painting. I found his style remarkable. It is refreshing to see a painting that challenges you in everyway because you have to squint your eyes to really discover what is in there, and even then you have squinted your eyes, you are far to have not seen it all. You discover more things as you trace it slowly all with your eyes, knew roads, knew lilies

3 OpenStax-CNX module: m and knew cascades that were not there when you looked in the beginning, it is truly fascinating and strong to look at. His large-scale water-lily compositions represent the culminating achievement of his career, and were described by the artist as his Grand Decorations (slam.org). The Lines The lines in the water lilies are soft and also of strong appearance, they bend in dierent gentle forms that imitate a curve. The lines are highlighted in half of the circle and subtle on the other half, giving the illusion of depth. This use of lines incredibly make the shapes of the lilies become real and gives a perspective to the painting creating real space, a real pond. The perspective on the lines that are more clear; closer to the eye, become less accentuated as they get lost going up to the top horizon of the painting. On the owers, the lines go up and bend only some, when more of these lines are combine together they make the illusion of petals. This mix and use of lines in the water lilies is breath taking and makes you feel as if you can reach to it and touch them. Also, the water lilies are strategically align; starting in the painting from the left and going up to the right to give a sensations of movement, as if the lilies would be traveling. The lines in the pound are of whisked round forms especially in the middle. The lines are upright and made thick with the brush, they continue to crawl to the top with much thinner lines that are highlighted in the middle. All of these lines gives an impression of depth in this part of the pond and of thickness, creating a new and separated space that helps your eyes merged up into the rest of the painting to discover that there is more to see. In the upper part of the painting we nd lines that make holes in the water, by curving in a round form; this can be accomplished with the thick strokes used by Monet to form thin lines. In the middle part, the lines are overlapped, repeated and combine with each other. These lines form more water lilies and are organized in a slope road going up; starting from the bottom left line going up to the right, giving you a feeling of continuation in the natural scenery.on the sides, the trees are of hanging branches because the lines that form the trees had been overlapped on top of each other, the lines are curve as they extend upright. There are small thin lines that give the impression of fullness in the branch. Also, there are smaller and long thick lines that are continuous and overlapping the thin ones making it seem bushy. These lines of the trees and branches, contrast beautifully the lines of the water lilies in the painting. The Shapes The positives round shapes with the lilies are concentrated in the middle to gives you the sensation of richness in some areas as you may nd in nature. The round shapes of the water lilies are drawn darker that the other one underneath, and we also found another shape in the background that is of elliptical shape; the round shapes of the water lilies are bunch together forming the elliptical background on the upper part of the painting, creating a hiding place. The organic shapes in the middle form a wall to gives a sense of fall and break to the eye, like a waterfall. These organic shapes are essential to not disturb the change of the shapes that are about to happen in the top and right of the shapes of the painting, creating depth, as if you were the one that can get closer or farther. There is a sense of peace in this painting. The negatives shapes help make this feeling come alive, because in the negative space, the negative shapes of gentle waves were made with thick brushes distributed on the sides and middle of the painting to create the existence of the waterfall. Who does not love waterfalls! The wavy shapes in the tree are denitely organic evocations of nature and wild scenery. These organic shapes continue up in the painting without end, telling your mind that it is part of a tree and continues. These shapes inspire tranquility realism as if one would be seating in front of the pond, in the middle of these organic shapes, that makes the brunches of the tree. I get a sense of the tree being on my side, I am now a part of this painting. The round shapes of the water lilies right next to each other and the organic shapes that are on top of the whole painting creates unity in the whole design and intensify realism in Monet's work. The Value This painting has a clear depth that is accomplish by the use of values. The dierent tones in the front bottom are deep dark as if this part was under a shadow and the branches were blocking the light. The dark values gives this part of the painting depth and realism, a depth of real water that has found a wall and it is the end of its journey. The dark value also makes this section mysterious and accents contrast the values in the middle. The values in the middle are the lightest in the whole painting, these values seem like if the sun is heating in the water, the soft values that cross on top of the more lighted ones, gives you a sense of sun

4 OpenStax-CNX module: m shine and density of water and wall. This area of the painting opens up to show a bright sky.in the top part of the painting the values are not as bright but not as dark either, this is an area in the painting that takes your eyes father, and the values get lost all the way in the horizon. In this area, the light values are more of bright values, imitating sunshine and start to get darker as they crawl up the pond creating a sense of continuity and more depth. The values suddenly changed to dark thin brushes to create weight in the water lilies and to make them oat, dierent values of blues are use to accomplish this eects and bunch up for a look of abundance. The owers have few values that are more dene, between dark values and light values, the position of the owers whether they look as if they were in the open sky, or under a tree, create realism. I particularly favor how Monet use the darkest values on the side of the painting, in the branches of tree, because these values not only are realistic, but they give you a vision to have discovered and are entering this very pond, and the values also frame the picture beautifully given it balance when you look at it. Its Color The colors in the painting convey perfectly each item in it. Primary Colors are the strength in the composition but other derivated ones like pink were used. If I could blind fold myself and someone could ask me to make a painting with blue, pink and yellow and green. The color blue absolutely evokes water, and water serenity. This is also the number one color that I have heard most people love; making this painting already appealing to most people. The color green make the distinction possible in the water lilies from the ower to the leaves otherwise this painting that has hazy colors would confuse many. The colors are gently painting as if you would have to squint your eyes to really look at what is in it. Monet painted what he saw not what most people expected in a painting. I think Monet denitely showed his own way to see the water lilies not the exact lines one would have expected. The colors pink and red in the owers, tells me that there is a pond with interesting owers to look at and that one should not expect just one kind of them. The Space You must look at all of the use of space in this work or you might fail to see the whole painting. Every corner of space with exception of the upper left side is in full use, and the distribution of space gives a sense of realism and dierent space through out the whole painting. The positive space is as important as the negative space in the painting. The negative space is well dened in the water by separating it in stages, creating depth in the painting and the realism of the waves. Another negative space is around the falling branches that hang, only in this space we can admire branches that makes you a realism of a tree that is not moving, but it stands still and is real.the positive space where the design of owers is located and where the tree is located is not intrusive but pleasant, allowing you to look at the painting for a long time. Monet in this painting, creates a diversity of spaces, these spaces create an element of surprise to the viewer stimulating your curiosity. The tree branches are represented in a long posing weight on the sides. The width of the pond is in harmony with the width of the plants and the surroundings, making it balance and real. The space on the bottom gets much closer and bigger to the eyes, given a sense of closeness or been there, then the space in the middle that has the absent of the ower designs, creates a break, that makes you appreciated what it is to come. The distribution of the top space looks more secluded and gives a sense of distance and depth. The Texture The simulated realism in the texture is presented in the thick and thin stroke brushes all through out the painting. Monet built momentum of light and weight with the thick and thin strokes by using color. In some part the texture has a vibrant color; it seems as if he used the paint color straight from the palette where no mixing occurred. There is also mix of soft colors, that portrait thin texture to create the sense of light, and in the thick strokes to create weight, richness and depth. The texture in the owers gives them a real sense of a consistent body and makes them stand out. The texture in the branches is deliberately accentuated in dark green thin lines, and painting on top of the water scenery, that creates a sense of 3D illusion, a more realistic look. All of the textures work in harmony by following the lines of their separate designs. The texture is this painting is incredibly important, this element gives it the realism and excitement, and because it shows that Monet did it a "dedicated detail texture you can almost feel you are touching the water, the lilies and the tree. This water lilies painting is a remarkable rendition of nature and is full of surprises for the one watching it. In this analysis I examined the painting in detail nding hiding elements that only a person

5 OpenStax-CNX module: m paying close attention could nd, and it could not have been any other way because I think, thank God in heaven, Monet at this point of his life, had all the ability and experience that allowed him to create and delivered his work in such a unique way, that captures our eyes to take us straight into an adventure. His large-scale water-lily compositions represent the culminating achievement of his career, and were described by the artist as his Grand Decorations (slam.org). Reference Page Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. March 29, Web last updated on 25 March Claude Monet. /wiki/claude_monet Saint Louis Art Museum. (2012). The Agapanthus Triptych. Reference comes from