ART Appreciation "class" #2 Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

6/1/05 | republicanprofessor

[LexBaird]

This Monet (I think it's the right one) is in the Getty, in L.A. When I was there, my niece couldn't understand what all the hubbub was about, so I told her to go over and look closely at the "white" snow. Only then did she realize that there wasn't any white, but dabs of grey, blue and pink.

[conservativebabe]

My favorite Monet witch hangs in my home. I love the color and serenity of this painting.

[conservativebabe]

witch=which

[Republicanprofessor]

Lets not forget the homegrown. Robert Henri. or Twatchtman

Henri was a bit later and more of an Ashcan artist (or predecessor thereof). His works tend to be darker, although their subject was revolutionary. I like the sunset in that work you posted.

Twachtman is wonderful, an American Impressionist but more original (I think) than Hassam or others. I love his Emerald Pool from Yellowstone.

[Republicanprofessor]

Yes, Caillebotte is wonderful. I love the floor piece. I was unaware of the self-portrait or much of his history. He can slip through the cracks unless you make an effort to seek him out.

[Republicanprofessor]

FYI, those aren't nuns.

Ooops. I guess that Sally Field image just won't get out of my head, flying around in that early TV series.

You are absolutely right about the nuns; thanks for a great picture of their traditional costumes.

[Liberty Valance]

Thank you for the 2nd art appreciation class RProf. Can't keep my eyes off that first Monet you posted. Beautiful.

[Republicanprofessor]

I told her to go over and look closely at the "white" snow...

I love that Monet; it's one of my favorites. I can see him outside painting the other seasons of the haystacks, but it's hard to see him painting in the snow. It's COLD outside then. So this must have been a studio work, at least in part. The sunset and the blues and purples are awesome.

[fullchroma]

Is it a Renoir bar scene? (wild, undereducated guess.)

[P.O.E.]

One of Monet's early influences was the "floating world" of Japanese art of the time. Was fortunate to see many of his paintings up close (or at large, rather), while visiting Chicago sometime back. I recommend it if you're ever in the area.

An aside: Monet is one reason the French will always have my undying enmity. I wanted to visit the Monet museum - the local townfolk (including a gendarme) kept giving me wrong directions. Thus, I got there late - about an hour left 'til closing. They wouldn't admit me "You would not have time to appreciate". I swore never to visit Paris again.

[fullchroma]

Monet it the Barry Manilow of Impressionism. You missed little.

[Sloth]

I rather like the ones where the painting is very much like a photograph taken through something blurry, like a rain-spattered window -- if you squint at them, they could pass for photographs of real subjects.

The first one you posted of the seascape at sunrise, is a little *too* impressionistic for my taste; the boats & the water are fine, but the stuff beyond is kind of a mess -- I can't tell if the slate-colored crap at the upper left is supposed to be sailing ships, or a shoreline with mountains or buildings, or what.

But I like much of Monet's other work. I found an early one where he does a remarkable job on the water, given how little detail there is:

I don't much care for Gauguin stuff, though. The 'Vision after the Sermon' looks childish. Looks just as bad squinting at it.

I think the cow was probably just looking for a nice painting with a lush meadow and some reasonable sense of perspective (like the Monet below), but took a wrong turn at Albuquerque and ended up in Crazy Red Flatworld.

[AnAmericanMother]

I guess I'm wrongheaded or just bullheaded - I like to look at the overlooked artists. There are a lot of good ones out there!

[AnAmericanMother]

BTW, that first painting reminds me of the Whistler that garnered such critical opprobrium.

Really demonstrates the difference between French light and English light -- but they're going to the same place.

And of course there was the one that led to the famous libel suit against Ruskin for his comment "a pot of paint thrown in the public's face".

[P.O.E.]

I admit he's been over-commercialized as "cloying". But to tell you the truth, I'm a bit of an old cornball myself. There's a lost world, where people dressed up on a Sunday, to picnic among the flowers. Sounds old-fashioned, but I'll take quaint over hip-hop anyday.

[Republicanprofessor]

But I like much of Monet's other work. I found an early one where he does a remarkable job on the water, given how little detail there is.

Painting water is difficult. I think it was Sir Kenneth Clark who noted that the impression of water was essential to Impressionism. Think of it: if the water is not still, how on earth do you pin it down to paint it? A wave or ripple comes towards you, and it's gone before you can comprehend its shape and color. Thus you study how water works and paint an impression of it.

Monet's late waterlilies are incredible, especially at the Carnegie in Pittsburgh. There is no horizon line. What you see is reflections from a millileter of water, and the reflections of sky, clouds and willows are infinite. Plus he is doing this at what I think of as sunset, at the sunset in his life. More profound than you might otherwise think.

This one is from Paris, not Pittsburgh. I couldn't sort thorugh over 2,000 images to find the Pittsburgh piece.

And Chicago does have great Monets and Impressionist works in general (including a fine Caillebotte).

[mlmr]

Ping me.

Ping me.

Gonna take a rope and ping me.

From the branches of the highest treeeeeeeeeeeeee eee!

Woman, don't you weep for me!

[ALPAPilot]

Yes sir add me to the list, thanks.

[toomanygrasshoppers]

Thanks for the ping!

[nuconvert]

Excellent