Monet: Nature into Art

by John House

Analyzes the career of the artist responsible for the public image of Impressionism, focusing on the evolution in Monet's painting technique and execution and relating it to his ideas, experiences, and the contexts in which he worked

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Historical

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

John Peter Humphrey House was a British art historian and lecturer.

You may be looking for John C. House, American poet and novelist

John House was the doyen of historians of impressionism. Far from being lightweight or ingratiating, the impressionists were revealed in House's writings as sharp observers of social change; instead of being a self-contained movement, they were shown to be clever negotiators of artistic conventions and institutions. As well as playing an essential role in transforming the academic study of this period, House presided over the development of its public appreciation through the spectacular exhibitions that he curated.

Reviews

[AC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a large, dense, magnificent book that deals with the techniques, at the most granular level, of Monet’s Impressionist paintings. After a brief chapter on his life, patrons, and travels, House takes up the choice of subject (ch. 2); pictorial composition and choice of viewpoint (ch. 3); priming and ‘laying in’ = building up the paint surface (ch. 4); brushwork (ch 5); color (ch. 6). These were the most granular and the most interesting parts of the book for me. The latter sections deal with Monet’s methods of painting outdoors (more myth than reality), in the studio, finishing, signatures, pentimenti, and exhibiting.

Since technique, in opinion, is the key towards understanding Monet and Cézanne especially, this is a must-read. House’s handling of this material, moreover, is nuanced, objective, and sophisticated.

An outstanding book

[Revellee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book. Tons of terminology I didn’t know regarding art techniques and processes. Loved the accompanying images to demonstrate concepts.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly gorgeous prints! The detail of the brushwork was so clear, and the colours are stunning.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting, pragmatic, look at how Monet constructed his paintings over the course of his career. Even if you don't have formal training in art, you'll come away with a better understanding of the paintings. The only problem I have with the book is that on any given page there might be references to 5, 10, or even more pictures on plates scattered throughout the book. So there's a lot of flipping back and forth, trying to locate the plates without losing your place in the text. While there are many large color plates, there are also many small and/or black & white plates. These can not always show the effect being discussed in the text.