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Monet: The Restless Vision
A groundbreaking look at the life and art of one of the most influential, modern painters of the late nineteenth century and founder of the Impressionist movement.
Drawing on thousands of never-before-translated letters and unpublished sources, this biography reveals dramatic new information about the life and work of one of the late nineteenth century’s most important painters. Despite being mocked at the beginning of his career, and living hand to mouth, Monet risked all to pursue his vision, and his early work along the banks of the Seine in the 1860s and ’70s would come to be revered as Impressionism. In the following decades, he emerged as its celebrated leader in one of the most exciting cultural moments in Paris, before withdrawing to his house and garden to paint the late Water Lilies, which were ignored during his lifetime and would later have a major influence on all twentieth-century painters both figurative and abstract.
This is the first time we see the turbulent life of this volatile and voracious man, who was as obsessed by his love affairs as he was by nature. He changed his art decisively three times when the woman at the center of his life changed; Wullschläger brings these unknown, passionate, and passionately committed women to the foreground. Monet's closest friend was Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau; strong intellectual currents connected him to writers from Zola to Proust, as well as to his friends Manet, Renoir, and Pissarro. Brilliant and absorbing, this biography will forever change our understanding of Monet's life and work.
Drawing on thousands of never-before-translated letters and unpublished sources, this biography reveals dramatic new information about the life and work of one of the late nineteenth century’s most important painters. Despite being mocked at the beginning of his career, and living hand to mouth, Monet risked all to pursue his vision, and his early work along the banks of the Seine in the 1860s and ’70s would come to be revered as Impressionism. In the following decades, he emerged as its celebrated leader in one of the most exciting cultural moments in Paris, before withdrawing to his house and garden to paint the late Water Lilies, which were ignored during his lifetime and would later have a major influence on all twentieth-century painters both figurative and abstract.
This is the first time we see the turbulent life of this volatile and voracious man, who was as obsessed by his love affairs as he was by nature. He changed his art decisively three times when the woman at the center of his life changed; Wullschläger brings these unknown, passionate, and passionately committed women to the foreground. Monet's closest friend was Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau; strong intellectual currents connected him to writers from Zola to Proust, as well as to his friends Manet, Renoir, and Pissarro. Brilliant and absorbing, this biography will forever change our understanding of Monet's life and work.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
May 20, 2024
omg thank you netgalley!!! this has a bit of everything!!
biography bibliography ART of all sorts monsieur claude monet i feel like i know you now..
4.5 stars rounded up
took a bit of time bec finals szn BUT i love loved this
biography bibliography ART of all sorts monsieur claude monet i feel like i know you now..
4.5 stars rounded up
took a bit of time bec finals szn BUT i love loved this
November 24, 2023
This book is a masterpiece and one of the best biographies I have ever had the pleasure of reading. As I grow older, I appreciate both Impressionism and Monet specifically to an ever greater degree, and reading Wullschlager's fantastic volume has certainly reinforced Monet's status as in my opinion one of the greatest painters to ever live. The author succeeds in cutting through the chocolate-box familiarity of many of Monet's iconic paintings, from Impression: Sunrise to Water Lilies, reminding us just how daringly inventive, shocking and influential they were on first appearance. The descriptions of these works are uniformly excellent, and Wullschlager offers several intriguing new links and explanations for Monet's working processes. Sections on the impact of Japanese prints on the French master's work, and how many of his later creations anticipated the 20th century move towards abstract art were eye-opening and offered refreshing new ways of viewing many of these iconic paintings.
However, where this book really comes to life is in its portrait of Monet the person and the world in which he worked in. I was fascinated by every second of the time spent in the presence of this insular and increasingly reclusive genius who preferred to let his painting speak on his behalf. Monet's friends and rivals from inside and outside the artistic community are also wonderfully depicted; his work is placed in its context alongside the likes of Manet, Renoir, Bazille, Morisot and many others, while his position in wider French society and relationships with the likes of Clemenceau, Zola and Proust as well as his experiences during momentous historical occasions ranging from the First World War to the Dreyfus Affair are also covered in exquisite fashion. A welcome revisionist addition to Monet's history is the role of women in his work; the influence of Camille Monet, Alice Hoschede and Blanche Hoschede has often been overlooked as is unfortunately common for women in art history. Discovering their impact was an enlightening joy.
Taken together, the multiple strands in this book provide a definitive overview of Monet's oeuvre as well as the man behind them. Wullschlager's formidable research and beautiful writing produce a definitive account which had a surprisingly high emotional effect on me even over a century after the events portrated (the story of Bazille, the tragic early hero of Impressionism, had me in tears). My only regret on finishing this is that the rest of my favourite artists haven't yet been given such incredible treatment. This is undoubtedly the most enjoyable artist biography I have ever seen, and a brilliant experience regardless of your level of knowledge or interest in Monet.
However, where this book really comes to life is in its portrait of Monet the person and the world in which he worked in. I was fascinated by every second of the time spent in the presence of this insular and increasingly reclusive genius who preferred to let his painting speak on his behalf. Monet's friends and rivals from inside and outside the artistic community are also wonderfully depicted; his work is placed in its context alongside the likes of Manet, Renoir, Bazille, Morisot and many others, while his position in wider French society and relationships with the likes of Clemenceau, Zola and Proust as well as his experiences during momentous historical occasions ranging from the First World War to the Dreyfus Affair are also covered in exquisite fashion. A welcome revisionist addition to Monet's history is the role of women in his work; the influence of Camille Monet, Alice Hoschede and Blanche Hoschede has often been overlooked as is unfortunately common for women in art history. Discovering their impact was an enlightening joy.
Taken together, the multiple strands in this book provide a definitive overview of Monet's oeuvre as well as the man behind them. Wullschlager's formidable research and beautiful writing produce a definitive account which had a surprisingly high emotional effect on me even over a century after the events portrated (the story of Bazille, the tragic early hero of Impressionism, had me in tears). My only regret on finishing this is that the rest of my favourite artists haven't yet been given such incredible treatment. This is undoubtedly the most enjoyable artist biography I have ever seen, and a brilliant experience regardless of your level of knowledge or interest in Monet.
May 12, 2024
A definitive and meticulously researched new bio of artist Claude Monet, the father of Impressionism, with notes, bibliography, index, and a host of black and white photos and illustrations. I only wish his work were in color, so we could see the splendor of his Impressionist paintings. Recommended!
December 13, 2024
In addition to learning more about Monet, I enjoyed also learning about the various artists active during his life, some friends, others not. These artists were not limited to visual artists though they predominated, many were writers. Monet struggled mightily early in his career, sometimes not having any food, but the end of his life saw him well off and able to return the favors granted him early on. This is a well researched and well written biography.
May 2, 2025
I came in to this book quite cynical and have never properly considered Monet or his works. However, this book changed me profoundly. Initially worried about its sentimental tone and the idea of putting feelings onto an artist, it's so well researched and written with so much care that I was completely absorbed by it and got such a sense of the life of Monet as well as the history surrounding the era in which he lived. His private world, his gardens and his France is brought fully to life, illustrated along the way by letters from lovers, friends, contemporaries and a guided walk through his paintings. By the end I found myself crying for the loss of such a brilliant eye and for the changes, passage and loss of time that inevitably comes to us all.
November 27, 2025
Excellent - epic
February 27, 2025
Don't let the length of time it took me to read this book trick you into thinking it was anything less than 5 stars. Simply fantastic for anyone with an interest in art, art history, impressionism, late 19th/early 20th Century French history, or obviously Monet himself.
October 14, 2024
Wonderful reading. "Let there be light"; Monet made the lightness into being ("sunrise, impression").
August 26, 2025
I wanted to take my time with this book and sit with each chapter. This book became a part of me and I felt transported back in time. It sounds silly, but I cried at every inevitable death and was moved to tears over the passion Monet and the Impressionist artists had for their life’s work.
February 4, 2025
Monet: The Restless Vision is a marvelous biography about Claude Monet, one of the founding members of the Impressionist movement—though really Monet was THE founding member of the movement. Wullschlager writes how Monet was central to its development—it was Monet who was responsible for the name ‘Impressionism’ after an art critic wrote a not-so-flattering review of the first Impressionist exhibition and coined the term based on Monet’s featured work, Impressionist Sunrise (1872).
I gained a new appreciation for Monet and his art, though after almost five hundred pages, it was hard not to be convinced. Despite its length, the book was engaging. What I enjoyed most was how Wullschlager tackled Monet’s life. She got into the details: the other artists in his life, the art dealers, the circumstances that affected the development of his works (the politics, wars, locations, his health), his complicated family arrangements (living with a woman not his wife with her children for several years). Wullschlager’s writing was never dull or academic.
This book is an excellent complement to Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and The Birth of Impressionism. Paris in Ruins focused more on Manet and Morisot and, in hindsight, glossed over Monet’s contributions. This book sets the record straight.
Monet was inspired by the transformation of objects outdoors affected by light and the environment. The impact of light was fundamental to his early works, but I learned that many of Monet’s works were inspired by his garden at his home in Giverny, France. He was dedicated to his garden—its cultivation, especially the lilies. The water lilies that grew in the pond were the subject of some of his most famous series of works painted in his late period—Water Lilies. Wullschlager highlights though just how important Monet’s garden was to him—it provided solace, comfort, and inspiration. (The book includes numerous photographs of Monet in his garden). Reading how much Monet invested in his works, Water Lilies, I’m looking forward to experiencing the Water Lily series in person again. It will be different for sure. Proust described Monet’s gardens best; he said Monet’s garden was a “real transposition of [his] art, rather than a model for a painting” (p. 367).
Like other artists of his era, Monet was challenged by complex personal relationships, by bouts of depression, by second-guessing his work, and by health crises’ (he had cataracts and experienced blindness and sight problems in later life). But he persevered and painted anyway. His works today are still considered some of the best of European art of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. I was struck by the quote of Monet in his late years that he penned in an autograph album, “All I can say is that painting is very hard” (p 423). There is much to glean from that quote. The way I interpret is that Monet’s craft—his lifelong passion (obsession is more apt), did not come easily—it came with sacrifices, emotional pain, and angst. Yet how fortunate we are to have his art!
Wullschlager sums up Monet’s contributions brilliantly in the epilogue where she writes of Monet’s influence on a new generation of artists: Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Rothko. Monet: The Restless Vision is a fabulous read. Readers who love art, art history and/or reading about Paris’ history will thoroughly enjoy this wonderful book.
I gained a new appreciation for Monet and his art, though after almost five hundred pages, it was hard not to be convinced. Despite its length, the book was engaging. What I enjoyed most was how Wullschlager tackled Monet’s life. She got into the details: the other artists in his life, the art dealers, the circumstances that affected the development of his works (the politics, wars, locations, his health), his complicated family arrangements (living with a woman not his wife with her children for several years). Wullschlager’s writing was never dull or academic.
This book is an excellent complement to Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and The Birth of Impressionism. Paris in Ruins focused more on Manet and Morisot and, in hindsight, glossed over Monet’s contributions. This book sets the record straight.
Monet was inspired by the transformation of objects outdoors affected by light and the environment. The impact of light was fundamental to his early works, but I learned that many of Monet’s works were inspired by his garden at his home in Giverny, France. He was dedicated to his garden—its cultivation, especially the lilies. The water lilies that grew in the pond were the subject of some of his most famous series of works painted in his late period—Water Lilies. Wullschlager highlights though just how important Monet’s garden was to him—it provided solace, comfort, and inspiration. (The book includes numerous photographs of Monet in his garden). Reading how much Monet invested in his works, Water Lilies, I’m looking forward to experiencing the Water Lily series in person again. It will be different for sure. Proust described Monet’s gardens best; he said Monet’s garden was a “real transposition of [his] art, rather than a model for a painting” (p. 367).
Like other artists of his era, Monet was challenged by complex personal relationships, by bouts of depression, by second-guessing his work, and by health crises’ (he had cataracts and experienced blindness and sight problems in later life). But he persevered and painted anyway. His works today are still considered some of the best of European art of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. I was struck by the quote of Monet in his late years that he penned in an autograph album, “All I can say is that painting is very hard” (p 423). There is much to glean from that quote. The way I interpret is that Monet’s craft—his lifelong passion (obsession is more apt), did not come easily—it came with sacrifices, emotional pain, and angst. Yet how fortunate we are to have his art!
Wullschlager sums up Monet’s contributions brilliantly in the epilogue where she writes of Monet’s influence on a new generation of artists: Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Rothko. Monet: The Restless Vision is a fabulous read. Readers who love art, art history and/or reading about Paris’ history will thoroughly enjoy this wonderful book.
August 1, 2024
Monet is a pretty thorough look at the painter, though it does seem to go more heavily into details of his life and his professional relationships earlier in his life. While many of his contemporaries and loved ones preceded him in death, it does seem like the last few decades of his life aren't covered to the same level of detail. The biggest challenge that Wullschlager runs into in writing this book is trying to describe Monet's paintings. She does an admirable job with descriptive language, but there's a reason why "a picture is worth a thousand words" is a catchphrase. In the ARC version I read, there are pictures and paintings included, but they are small and in black and white, so there's really only so much they do to bring life to written descriptions. Wullschlager does a good job of being unsparing of Monet when speaking to his life; both his faults and his favorable characteristics are on display. Early in his life he was very passive aggressive and was constantly berating people to give him money. As included in his own words from letters he wrote, it paints an accurate but not so flattering picture of the young artist. As he aged and gained prominence his financial circumstances weren't as dire and not being so dependent on others to maintain his family and lifestyle makes him a much more pleasant person. While this is not a favorable trait, it is impressive that he was faithful to the two women of his life when most of his contemporaries regularly had affairs. He also was incredibly supportive of many of his contemporaries, purchasing their art and providing funds when his own finances were secure. His talent is amazing, and I've always loved his impressionistic work. I have the pleasure of living close enough that I've seen one of his major waterlilies work at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, and the series of works is one of my favorites. It's fascinating to see the personal life that led to the professional paintings. The book did feel a little bit long, and did feel like it could be a little more engaging, but does a great job of giving readers a comprehensive background of the man behind the painting. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 19, 2025
This is a big, ambitious biography. I thought I knew a fair amount about Monet’s life and works, but this book surprised me in two respects.
First, I was not enough aware of Monet’s intellectual leadership, if not dominance, within the impressionist movement. In fact, in the book he comes across as completely self-assured that his artistic vision is the right one, and the only modern one.
Second, while artists often have, or are even expected to have, an impractical streak, Monet is described as having had no sense whatsoever of responsibly managing money. Until he established a relationship with the dealer Durand-Ruel in the early 1880s, and although some of his paintings already made good money before the 1880s, he was constantly followed by a trail of unpaid bills, while habitually harassing friends to bail him out.
Wullschläger manages to make Monet’s artistic assuredness and financial incompetence to look like the two sides of the same coin. Basically, Monet is being portrayed as being so absorbed in his artistic obsession that he can’t be bothered with keeping his practical affairs in order.
The book also does a wonderful job at describing Monet’s various artistic phases through his long life, as well as his relationships with other artists, friends, and, especially the key roles of his two wives in keeping him going. Clearly, the author is on top of her massive material, and she does not hesitate to show it through her narrative-rich style.
My only criticism is that the book has an image-light style, i.e. it often refers to drawings or paintings that are not shown in the book. Given the author’s narrative-rich style, I found it difficult or even impossible to follow what is being narrated without seeing the images. The book is best read with an iPad or similar always close-by.
First, I was not enough aware of Monet’s intellectual leadership, if not dominance, within the impressionist movement. In fact, in the book he comes across as completely self-assured that his artistic vision is the right one, and the only modern one.
Second, while artists often have, or are even expected to have, an impractical streak, Monet is described as having had no sense whatsoever of responsibly managing money. Until he established a relationship with the dealer Durand-Ruel in the early 1880s, and although some of his paintings already made good money before the 1880s, he was constantly followed by a trail of unpaid bills, while habitually harassing friends to bail him out.
Wullschläger manages to make Monet’s artistic assuredness and financial incompetence to look like the two sides of the same coin. Basically, Monet is being portrayed as being so absorbed in his artistic obsession that he can’t be bothered with keeping his practical affairs in order.
The book also does a wonderful job at describing Monet’s various artistic phases through his long life, as well as his relationships with other artists, friends, and, especially the key roles of his two wives in keeping him going. Clearly, the author is on top of her massive material, and she does not hesitate to show it through her narrative-rich style.
My only criticism is that the book has an image-light style, i.e. it often refers to drawings or paintings that are not shown in the book. Given the author’s narrative-rich style, I found it difficult or even impossible to follow what is being narrated without seeing the images. The book is best read with an iPad or similar always close-by.
August 9, 2024
Monet:The Restless Vision is an in depth biography of the founder of Impressionism with a healthy dose of art appreciation included. My one regret was not taking an art appreciation class in college, so this helped fill a void for me. Those with a more in depth knowledge of art may not be as impressed.
I was reading an ARC. Plates of his greatest works are referenced but were not included in the ARC. I can only hope the final book has them. They were small pictures of some works interspersed with the text, all in black and white. So, I consistently had to Google the paintings so I could compare what was being written with the actual work. Wullschlager does a good job describing the paintings and explaining their vision.
I appreciated that Wullschlager gave the reader a strong feel for the times that Monet lived in, going far beyond what was happening in the art world. In fact, I have a better appreciation for how his colors and themes mirrored what was happening in both the world and his life.
This is a well done blend of providing a portrait of the man with explanations of his art. He wasn’t always a likable person, at times overly narcissistic. As with so many artists, he overwhelms his family and friends with demands and expectations.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage Books for an advance copy of this book.
I was reading an ARC. Plates of his greatest works are referenced but were not included in the ARC. I can only hope the final book has them. They were small pictures of some works interspersed with the text, all in black and white. So, I consistently had to Google the paintings so I could compare what was being written with the actual work. Wullschlager does a good job describing the paintings and explaining their vision.
I appreciated that Wullschlager gave the reader a strong feel for the times that Monet lived in, going far beyond what was happening in the art world. In fact, I have a better appreciation for how his colors and themes mirrored what was happening in both the world and his life.
This is a well done blend of providing a portrait of the man with explanations of his art. He wasn’t always a likable person, at times overly narcissistic. As with so many artists, he overwhelms his family and friends with demands and expectations.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage Books for an advance copy of this book.
May 22, 2024
This book tells the beautiful story of Monet’s life. It obviously focuses on his life as an incredible artist and the instigator of impressionism. Along with his friends, Renoir mainly, he rejected traditional academic painting techniques, preferring to paint outside and capture the effects of light and atmosphere. He will evolve into painting series, the Haystacks, the Cathedral of Rouen, London and the Thames, and the well-known Nympheas, drifting slowly through time to the borders of abstraction. In parallel with his artistic work, this book recounts his intimate life, his affection for Camille and later Alice, seven children running around, for years impoverished, yet unwaveringly dedicated to his art and his family. He was surrounded by loving women until he died in 1926 at the age of 86 at Giverny, his beloved garden. An anchoring of the artist in his time and real life adds a fantastic understanding of the birth of impressionism and the human nature of Monet. This book is quite dense, yet it is extremely enriching.
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March 5, 2025
A meticulously researched book about Monet and his paintings.
A life-long admirer of Monet's paintings, I could not wait to start reading the book and to discover the man behind the art. I was left down by the book.
Ms Wullschläger is obviously a devotee of her subject but her talent is in describing the paintings with glorious words, abstract but able to convey the essence of the canvases. I cannot say the same about the essence of the man Monet. Among the names-dropping, excessive details, quotes of letters... the narrative of the life of the painter, of what moved him gets lost or sometimes is revealed in passing. (For example the fact that he was an avid gardener in addition to an avid garden painter, that he got dirt under his nails is mentioned only as an afterthought in couple of sentences). Do I now know more about him - yes sure, but these glimpses are fleeting, unclear as if Monet is an impression of his own self.
Very often non-fictional books try hard to span different audiences - the general one and the academic one. This book is probably more for the second group - rich on details, but too weak on the story itself to satisfy the general public.
A life-long admirer of Monet's paintings, I could not wait to start reading the book and to discover the man behind the art. I was left down by the book.
Ms Wullschläger is obviously a devotee of her subject but her talent is in describing the paintings with glorious words, abstract but able to convey the essence of the canvases. I cannot say the same about the essence of the man Monet. Among the names-dropping, excessive details, quotes of letters... the narrative of the life of the painter, of what moved him gets lost or sometimes is revealed in passing. (For example the fact that he was an avid gardener in addition to an avid garden painter, that he got dirt under his nails is mentioned only as an afterthought in couple of sentences). Do I now know more about him - yes sure, but these glimpses are fleeting, unclear as if Monet is an impression of his own self.
Very often non-fictional books try hard to span different audiences - the general one and the academic one. This book is probably more for the second group - rich on details, but too weak on the story itself to satisfy the general public.
November 4, 2024
I’m absolutely blown away. Never have I ever enjoyed* and considered a biography to be as gripping and fascinating as this… I feel as though I know* Monet, that he is a person with a family, a life, a story, ups and downs, and so much more beyond his works. His paintings are stories unto themselves — and the writing is supreme in this as it weaves SO much dialogue and letters together. This is extraordinary, and I felt as though I were watching a movie!!! The plated paintings of various works to illustrate, along w the black and white paintings and photos, made this such a pleasure to read and read and read. I’m still in shock that I was never, even for a second, bored—nor was I ever overwhelmed by the deluge of places or names or terms and dates. Huge props to the author… and onto the next artist 😌😌😌
Much will stay w me about Monet — from his (quite frankly) obscene behavior in pestering his friends! for money to how dedicated he was to his family, and how he always forged his own path forward, whether that was with a larger group of supporters or not.
1000000/5.
Much will stay w me about Monet — from his (quite frankly) obscene behavior in pestering his friends! for money to how dedicated he was to his family, and how he always forged his own path forward, whether that was with a larger group of supporters or not.
1000000/5.
July 2, 2025
An excellent biography of the main Impressionist painter, Claude Monet. He lived a very long life. In the beginning, he suffered from misery and even hunger, but as he progressed, he ultimately enjoyed wealth and recognition. Money and fame were not his priorities. He was truly fascinated by nature, light, and contrast. He was famous for painting the same scene up to 30 times, such as a church or haystacks, to show the different views that light has on things. He was a simple man who found happiness doing what he liked. He was hard-working, even obsessive, but he always felt responsible and looked after his family and friends. I had the opportunity to visit Giverny, the house where he built a magnificent garden, a bridge, a pond and he grew his lilies. In the last years of his life, these views became his life and his motivation, and even if he was almost blind, he was interested in continuing his life as a painter. I wish I had read this book before I went there. I would have enjoyed it much more.
June 8, 2024
A magical book, eloquently told and being both a biography and an art illustrative guide to Monet’s works. Richly decorated by historical analysis of events that shaped the thinking of a close group of progressive artists that used the Salon des Refusés to narrate a completely new chapter in painting.
It’s especially endearing if one’s reading happens immediately after or before a visit to Giverny - a short distance from the meadows with haystacks - or - shall one venture a bit farther up the estuary of Seine, to Rouen.
A person who lived and breathe the water surface - starting with the boats leaving Le Havre - and finishing with a Zen introspective look at water lilies - Monet has opened floodgates to serial painting, adjourning the ostensibly immutable surfaces like stone - with colours cast by the escaping light. As if following the tenets of Baudelaire on the permeability of all existence.
It’s especially endearing if one’s reading happens immediately after or before a visit to Giverny - a short distance from the meadows with haystacks - or - shall one venture a bit farther up the estuary of Seine, to Rouen.
A person who lived and breathe the water surface - starting with the boats leaving Le Havre - and finishing with a Zen introspective look at water lilies - Monet has opened floodgates to serial painting, adjourning the ostensibly immutable surfaces like stone - with colours cast by the escaping light. As if following the tenets of Baudelaire on the permeability of all existence.
November 24, 2024
Very interesting, very thorough biography of an extraordinary artist. Wullschläger achieves a rare balance, giving us family history, personal history, friendships, economic and financial history, politics when relevant, big cultural context, and just enough analysis of the art work itself. This is an enormous achievement - most biographies are strong on one or two of those fronts, and weak on the others. It’s also well constructed, and moves smoothly through complex events.
The only missing element, unfortunately, is any visceral feeling of what this man was like. All the pieces are there, but they never quite come together to give the reader a gut feeling of what Monet was like, except that he was grumpy when his work went badly. It’s probably not fair to hold that against the author, since it would be largely speculation and invention, but it’s an odd emptiness at the emotional center.
Other than that missing spark, it’s a great biography.
The only missing element, unfortunately, is any visceral feeling of what this man was like. All the pieces are there, but they never quite come together to give the reader a gut feeling of what Monet was like, except that he was grumpy when his work went badly. It’s probably not fair to hold that against the author, since it would be largely speculation and invention, but it’s an odd emptiness at the emotional center.
Other than that missing spark, it’s a great biography.
February 25, 2025
Monet's life is so much more complex and full than I had ever imagined. Somehow I had this idea of the kind old white haired painter seated in his garden in beauty and tranquility. Well, that was, more or less, the case in his later life (and he lived longer than almost all of the Impressionist painters). But the earlier years were filled with poverty, strife, entangled relationships and a great deal of travel: all news to me! And the author does an excellent job of connecting his growing and changing 'artistic vision', without belaboring or sensationalizing the events in his life which contributed to those changes. I loved this book and highly recommend it to those who wish to know more about the artist and, not only the Impressionist movement, but the artistic movements that grew out of it
March 17, 2025
Jackie Wullschläger's book Monet: The Restless Vision. is an excellent biograph; written well, thoroughly researched, and beautifully engaging.
I do not know much about art, but have always found Monet's work to be peaceful, calm and joyous. The colors and style are pleasing to my eye. This book gave me a much greater understanding of Impressionism, letting me see that the style isn't simply aesthetically beautiful but also daring and inventive.
The author describes the famous artist's works so well that I could recall the image in my eye, and when I inevitably went to Google, my images were surprisingly accurate. But even more than the sections on his art, I enjoyed the sections on Monet as a person. It was fascinating to dive into his insular world, examining both his genius and his reclusive habits.
Thank you to the publisher for my #gifted copy!
I do not know much about art, but have always found Monet's work to be peaceful, calm and joyous. The colors and style are pleasing to my eye. This book gave me a much greater understanding of Impressionism, letting me see that the style isn't simply aesthetically beautiful but also daring and inventive.
The author describes the famous artist's works so well that I could recall the image in my eye, and when I inevitably went to Google, my images were surprisingly accurate. But even more than the sections on his art, I enjoyed the sections on Monet as a person. It was fascinating to dive into his insular world, examining both his genius and his reclusive habits.
Thank you to the publisher for my #gifted copy!
January 1, 2026
Thank you to Knopf and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I wanted to learn more about Monet as I was always drawn to his art and love the experience of seeing his works in person. This biography is a wonderful telling of his life, how his relationships shaped his experiences and thus his art, and how his art came from a very emotional and interior place. There are also many references to his contemporary artists and writers that give a very specific time and place to Monet's life. This beautiful telling of his life will make me see his creations in a different light, bringing even more meaning and emotion to them. I am now even more excited to see the places that inspired him and a visit to his home and garden are definitely on my bucket list. I highly recommend this book.
July 7, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The Restless Vision isn’t just a biography, but a scholarly work that details Monet’s life as a whole. The author uses a wealth of materials, including personal letters, to give us a full understanding of Monet. The book follows the artist’s life from birth to death, describing his life in the context of the times. We see Monet in historical, cultural, creative and personal contexts from his lean years to Giverny.
Monet was a complex figure, and Wullschläger tells the story skillfully. This is an entertaining and informational book Monet admirers will enjoy.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
The Restless Vision isn’t just a biography, but a scholarly work that details Monet’s life as a whole. The author uses a wealth of materials, including personal letters, to give us a full understanding of Monet. The book follows the artist’s life from birth to death, describing his life in the context of the times. We see Monet in historical, cultural, creative and personal contexts from his lean years to Giverny.
Monet was a complex figure, and Wullschläger tells the story skillfully. This is an entertaining and informational book Monet admirers will enjoy.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
December 18, 2024
Monet
by Jackie Wullschläger
A remarkable telling of the life and times of Monet, his art, his life, his struggles, his love. Monet's life was not a simple telling, much of the time he was counting pennies, or begging for funds to continue. He was one of the first Painters that used impressionism. His reasons for it vary from his coterie of artists. He struggled for notoriety, but also funds to care for his family.
This book shows the many personal struggles of Monet. His financial struggles, his emotional tragedy the loss of a child, loss of a wife. This book focuses on how each of these things created his art work. Not just the movements, but for inspiration. Explaining the background of many promenade pieces that are renown so long after his live.
by Jackie Wullschläger
A remarkable telling of the life and times of Monet, his art, his life, his struggles, his love. Monet's life was not a simple telling, much of the time he was counting pennies, or begging for funds to continue. He was one of the first Painters that used impressionism. His reasons for it vary from his coterie of artists. He struggled for notoriety, but also funds to care for his family.
This book shows the many personal struggles of Monet. His financial struggles, his emotional tragedy the loss of a child, loss of a wife. This book focuses on how each of these things created his art work. Not just the movements, but for inspiration. Explaining the background of many promenade pieces that are renown so long after his live.
August 13, 2024
MONET, the biography of Claude Monet is a joy to read. Monet’s life as an artist is portrayed by the author, Jackie Wullschlager. I am interested in reading about Monet's paintings, including those of he made of his wife, Camille, his caricatures, and his paintings of water lilies. The most interesting aspect of this biography, in my opinion, is the exploration of Monet's personal life and his relationship with his wives, Camille and Alice. Thank you, Knopf Pantheon Vintage and Anchor and NetGalley, for a chance to read and review an advance reader copy of MONET.
September 13, 2024
Jackie Wullschläger's biography Monet: The Restless Vision provides a detailed and well-researched account of Monet's life. Readers are given a lively glimpse into Monet's life through personal letters, photographs, drawings, paintings, caricatures, and other materials. A biography chronicles the life of the artist from his birth until his death. Monet's life is explored through the lens of the era historically, culturally, politically, geographically, and personally by the author. In reading Monet, I learned so much about this great painter.
December 7, 2024
A colorful biography of a colorful life. Vivid, insightful and including reproductions of Monet’s best work at the back. Shows how Monet was at the forefront of the impressionist movement and led to abstract work. Wry at times and not too reverential about Monet, this book gave me newfound respect for a painter I already admired. But those think they don’t like him or prefer others might enjoy the book as well. Even if Monet’s portraits aren’t his strong suit, this book serves up a strong portrait of him at work.
October 11, 2024
I haven't read a book in many years that reads more like a fabulous potential movie than this one. Not sure who I would select for all of the actors/actresses but this story unfolds across all of your senses as a reader. A biographical masterwork whether you're a fan of Monet or not. Wullschlager pulls you in to Monet and the constellation of characters around him from the first page. I look forward to reading it all over again when I've recovered.
November 2, 2024
Thank you Knopf and Netgalley for this advanced copy!
What an incredible biography of one of the most influential painters of the 20th century. I've been a Monet fan since I saw his paintings as a child and I appreciated how Wullschlager dug into his life while still focusing on his painting and the rise of the Impressionists. Wullschlager balances details with excellent story-telling, giving us a sense of time, place, and how Monet's work fit into all of it. A real treat, this was great.
What an incredible biography of one of the most influential painters of the 20th century. I've been a Monet fan since I saw his paintings as a child and I appreciated how Wullschlager dug into his life while still focusing on his painting and the rise of the Impressionists. Wullschlager balances details with excellent story-telling, giving us a sense of time, place, and how Monet's work fit into all of it. A real treat, this was great.
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