Monet: Itinerant of Light

by Salva Rubio, Ricard Efa (Illustrator)

The life of the great French painter, one of the founders of Impressionism, is narrated in lush comic art reminiscent of his style. From the Salon des Refuses ("Salon of the Rejected") and many struggling years without recognition, money, and yet a family to raise, all the way to great success, critically and financially, Monet pursued insistently one vision: catching the light in painting, refusing to compromise on this ethereal pursuit. It cost him dearly but he was a beacon for his contemporaries. We discover in this comics biography how he came to this vision as well as his turbulent life pursuing it.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Comics, History, Bande Dessinée

112 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2017

About the author

Salva Rubio is a novelist and screenwriter and something else.

He works as a cinema screenwriter, having been nominated to the Spanish Goya Awards for Best Animation Feature.

As a graphic novel writer, he publishes mainly in the French-Belgian market and his work has been nominated to an Eisner Award.

He has also written classic musical essays and is the continuator of the bestseller screenwriting theory book series “Save the Cat!”

He is an associate member of the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America, West) and he is a member of the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España.

Reviews

[Maede · Rating 4 out of 5]

من از نقاشی خیلی کم می‌دونم و خوندن این کتاب زیبا که زندگینامه‌ی «کلود مونه» به صورت تصویریه، اولین دریه که به این دنیا باز کردم. این رمان گرافیکی در ابتدا از سال‌های پیری مونه شروع می‌کنه و از زبان خودش زندگیش رو تعریف می‌کنه

با دنبال کردن زندگی مونه و تلخی‌هاش، میشه داستان پشت آثارش رو متوجه شد و این نقاشی‌هاش رو برام زیباتر کرد. از طرفی هم زندگی مونه، داستان تولد امپرسیونیسم هم هست و این فرصت خوبی برای یادگیری پایه‌ی در مورد این جنبشه. از خوبی‌های دیگه‌ی این کتاب اینه که خیلی از تصاویرش با اقتباس از نقاشی‌های خود مونه یا دوستان نقاشش کشیده شدند که می‌تونید بعضی مواردش رو انتهای کتاب ببینید

اما بهترین حالت خوندنش اینه که نقاشی‌های هر دوره‌ای که در کتاب اشاره میشه رو پیدا کنید و ببینید که البته زحمت این‌کار و توضیحاتش رو دوستی در گروه هم‌خوانی کشید و من رو ساعت‌ها جلو انداخت

از بین همه‌ی نقاشی‌های مونه، نقاشی «کامیل مونه در بستر مرگ» رو هرگز فراموش نمی‌کنم. انگار لحظه‌ای دیدمش سردی مرگ از نقاشی بیرون زد و استخوان‌هام لرزید. نقاشی‌ای از جسد کامیل همسر مونه که در سخت‌ترین روزها در کنار مونه موند و شکست‌ها، حماقت‌ها و خودخواهی‌‌هاش رو تحمل کرد. کامیل که اولین مدل اولین نقاشی موفق مونه بود و جنازه‌ش هم باز برای مونه تبدیل به مدل حرکت نور بر مرگ شد

کتاب رو می‌تونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books

۱۴۰۳/۳/۳

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Salva Rubio writes the story and EFA illustrates this biography of the leader of the Impressionist movement, who mainly sought out ways to capture light in his painting, and the "impression" or emotion that the natural world evoked for him. We see that Monet and his group were repeatedly ridiculed for their approach, many not properly recognized in their time.

Monet, who could have better supported his family by agreeing to be part of an Academy that had initially scorned him. His family suffered, he had several children to support, but as so many other great artists have shown, he neglected his family, his own health, for his maniacal devotion to his craft, his vision. The impression of this impressionist here is not romanticized, but it is interesting, EFA's art a fitting tribute to his subject's approach, and the book also includes an afterword by Rubio that both more deeply explains Monet's approach and shares some of his paintings.

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was reading this memoir of the famous impressionist painter, Oscar Monet, I remember what my parents said when I was thinking of taking up BFA in college: "What will you end up? A painter? There's no money in painting." And that's what Monet experienced several times as a painter during that time.

Monet's life was never that easy ever since he decided to pursue his painting career. There were times that he can't provide for his family that he usually borrows from his good friend Bazille. Giving up painting always crossed his mind and just look for another job so he can able to support his growing family. Despite these difficulties, those who can see his paintings will not see any trace of these — as a large number of his works are quite the opposite because they are picturesque, lively and rich in color.

If you know who this brilliant painter is and want to take a glimpse of his life story, you must check out this graphic novel because it provides us a vivid picture of it.

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I know the works of Monet and I know about the Impressionist movement, but I didn’t really know the history of what it really meant. It should have been obvious. Usually, new things in history are ridiculed before they are accepted as great works.

Monet spent years in deep poverty. The critics hated his work at first and he could not make a living, or just eeked by. It wasn’t until he lost his first wife and a few children to poverty and disease that the view of his work changed. He did live long enough to see himself accepted and he was able to pay off his debts. I mean, we see and hear Monet and we think of this great artist and WOW! Back in his youth, he was laughed out of art galleries and people did not give much for his work. It’s amazing to think about.

I knew so little of this history and it makes me interested in learning more about this time period of the impressionist. Many paintings are recreated here in this novel. It is rather beautiful, but pales in comparison to the originals.

Monet was all about the light. Even when his wife was dying, he was fascinated by the light on her pale body and he had to paint her. He lived his work. I think that is the only way you don’t give in to the poverty is to simple eat, live and breath your work and your idea. He was considered the leader of this impressionist movement and they had a little meeting they kept trying to get their work out there with.

Pretty much a tragic tale with an uplifting end. I enjoyed this a whole lot. Now, I need time to explore more.

[leynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

REREAD (December 2021):
I read this graphic novel on Claude Monet three years ago in a German translation. Back then, I absolutely loved the story but was already a bit frustrated with the printing quality. Whilst the paper was nice (pretty thick, nice creamy color etc.), the actual art of the graphic novel turned out way too dark. All the panels looked really gloomy and dull, which is a real shame because when looking at the French original online, I could see that all the drawings by EFA were actually vibrant and really colorful.

Which is why I decided to unhaul my German edition of this book and try out the French original... and I'm not sure what to say: whilst the colors are muuuuch (!) brighter in the French original, the paper quality isn't as nice (as it's a rather cheap glossy paper) which makes the art not turn out as nice as it could be. So, overall, I'm also not happy with the French edition of the book and I'll be returning it.

Overall, this is still a graphic novel I'd recommend if you're interested in the first half of Monet's life, as the graphic novel solely focuses on that part. Personally, I found it a bit sad that they didn't show the second half of his life (so his time at Giverny and his painting of the nymphéas etc.) – but that makes it easier for me to say goodbye to my copy of this book.

Contrary to what I said in my first review from 2018, this is not a graphic novel I will turn back to. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed myself whilst reading it (even though Monet was a dickhead and Camille deserved so much better!) and some panels are really interesting to look at (I especially liked the ones where EFA painted Monet's paintings in his own style and incorporated them into the flow of the story, e.g. Camille breaking down in pain but being dressed in the famous red Japanese clothing, implying that she was posing for Monet's La Japonaise) BUT all in all, I am happy to let this one go. I read it twice now, and I don't think I need to read it a third time.

ORIGINAL REVIEW (November 2018):
I recreated the cover of this for today's Reading Rush Challenge. Check it out!

Oscar-Claude Monet (14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter, a founder of French Impressionist painting and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein air landscape painting. The term "Impressionism" is derived from the title of his painting Impression, soleil levant, which was exhibited in 1874 in the first of the independent exhibitions mounted by Monet and his associates as an alternative to the Salon de Paris.

Monet's ambition of documenting the French countryside led him to adopt a method of painting the same scene many times in order to capture the changing of light and the passing of the seasons. From 1883, Monet lived in Giverny, where he purchased a house and property and began a vast landscaping project which included lily ponds that would become the subjects of his best-known works. In 1899, he began painting the water lilies, first in vertical views with a Japanese bridge as a central feature and later in the series of large-scale paintings that was to occupy him continuously for the next 20 years of his life.

When Monet traveled to Paris to visit the Louvre, he witnessed painters copying from the old masters. Having brought his paints and other tools with him, he would instead go and sit by a window and paint what he saw. Monet was in Paris for several years and met other young painters, including Édouard Manet and others who would become friends and fellow Impressionists.

From the late 1860s, Monet and other like-minded artists met with rejection from the conservative Académie des Beaux-Arts, which held its annual exhibition at the Salon de Paris. During the latter part of 1873, Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley organized the Société anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs et graveurs (Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers) to exhibit their artworks independently. At their first exhibition, held in April 1874, Monet exhibited the work that was to give the group its lasting name. He was inspired by the style and subject matter of previous modern painters Camille Pissarro and Edouard Manet.

The first Impressionist exhibition was held in 1874 at 35 boulevard des Capucines, Paris, from 15 April to 15 May. The primary purpose of the participants was not so much to promote a new style, but to free themselves from the constraints of the Salon de Paris. The exhibition, open to anyone prepared to pay 60 francs, gave artists the opportunity to show their work without the interference of a jury.

After several difficult months following the death of Camille, Monet began to create some of his best paintings of the 19th century. During the early 1880s, Monet painted several groups of landscapes and seascapes in what he considered to be campaigns to document the French countryside. These began to evolve into series of pictures in which he documented the same scene many times in order to capture the changing of light and the passing of the seasons.

With their graphic biography on Monet, Efa and Rubio managed to create something truly special and magical. I would even dare to call this my new favorite graphic novel. [But is anyone surprised since Monet is my utter bae and seeing his life illustrated in full color was bound to make me happy?] They managed to create something so atmospheric and so full of love, I was immediately immersed in the narrative and invested in Monet's life. I cried so hard at the end. Obviously.

What I found most interesting about this graphic novel is the fact that Efa and Rubio decided to incorporate a frame story into it: the story of Monet's bad eyesight in his later years and the operation that was necessary to prevent him from going fully blind. This frame story was woven seamlessly into the core narrative of Monet's life, all trials and tribulations included. The writing (and 2nd person narration) was amazing, the illustrations were sublime. All in all, this piece of work took my breath away.

This graphic novel features panels that I can't keep my eyes off. I am beyond happy that it is in my possession and that I can go back to it whenever I feel like it [which is ALWAYS, of course].

[Arman · Rating 4 out of 5]

این کتاب تلاش می‌کند تا سرگذشت دور و دراز مونه را به تصویر بکشد. و به نظرم با نکجه به محدودیت‌های یک گرافیک نوول، به خوبی توانسته است همدوره‌ای‌های و جو هنری آن دوره و تغییرات آن را به تصویر بکشد.
یکی از نکات جالب کتاب، این بود که بسیاری از قاب‌ها به صورت مستقیم یا غیرمستقیم به تابلوهایی اشاره می‌کردند که باید می‌رفتی در آثار مونه جستجو می‌کردی و تابلوی مورد اشار�� را پیدا می‌کردی، که خود این موضوع، تجربه خواندن کتاب را برایم لذت بخش‌تر کرد (در انتهای کتاب، تنها تعدادی معدودی از تابلوها را آورده است).
یکی از نقاط ممیزه‌ی کتاب، گرافیک آن است. تصویرگر کتاب با م��ارت تلاش کرده است تا سبک تصویری و رنگ‌پردازی تصاویر کتاب را به کارهای مونه و امپرسیونیسم او نزدیک کند که تجربه بصری جالبی برایم بود.

تنها ایرادی که از کتاب می‌توانم بگیرم، این بود که نویسنده اواخر زندگی مونه را با سرعت بسیار تندی طی کرد و کاش درنگ بیشتری بر آن می‌داشت.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life of Oscar Monet told in art resembling his work of the time period. Monet struggled for decades leaving his family starving as he butted heads with the French art community. The leader of the Impressionist movement often had to beg patrons for money while he tried to capture the light in his work. This is a solid biography that shows you Monet's struggles and triumphs throughout his life.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of those good biographies that skims quickly through the subject's life, creating a need for more information but serving well enough since in the end I doubt I will actually read a full biography of Claude Monet, especially since he seems to be one of those annoying starving artist types who treats those around him like crap.

The highlight here is the art which pays homage to Monet's style and his actual paintings, duplicating settings and people. The end matter is excellent, providing side-by-side comparisons of Monet's art and individual comic panels.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such an odd book. It's the story of Monet told in a graphic novel. While the story was well done, I had a hard time keeping interested. I think because it's geared more for non-art people, not a Monet lover like myself.

My Rating: 3 stars

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 *
Komiksas, supazindinantis su vienu is mano megstamiausiu impresionistu - Monet. Gaila, kad neuzkabino nei tekstas, nei iliustracijos...
Uz malonius prisiminimus, patirtus bestovint pries Meistro sieno kupetas, sia knyga ivertinau geriau nei vertejo...

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Monet: Itinerant of Light is a graphic novel biography of the great painter and visionary Claude Monet. He had such a difficult and often painful life and seen backward through our lens from the future, it's amazing that he managed as much productivity as he did. The book was written by artist/historian Salva Rubio and was released 1 Nov, 2017 from Papercutz.

There's a lot of straight historical fact in this biography of course, but it's the non-judgemental sensitively handled human aspects of a complex man and the people in his orbit which lifts this book from a straight biography to an illuminating glimpse into the past culture and society in which he lived and worked. I think for most of us who are not completely obsessed by something, it's difficult to understand even to a small degree the mindset of someone who is. One of the quotes, directly from Monet himself, referring to painting the deathbed scene of his beloved wife, Camille Doncieux struck me deeply.

“ You can’t imagine,” Monet replied to me, “how true everything you just said really is. It’s what obsesses me, torments me, and fills my days with joy. To such an extent that one day, having found myself at the bedside of a dead woman who had been and still was very dear to me, I caught myself, as I stared down at her tragic face, casually wondering about the pattern, about the gradual loss of color that death had brought to her lifeless features. Hues of blue, yellow, grey? That’s how low I had stooped. It’s a natural reflex to want to reproduce the last image of the one who has just left us forever. But before the idea came to paint the features I was so deeply attached to, my natural instinct was to react to color first, and my reflexes were leading me, in spite of myself, to subconscious rote behavior that swallows up my day-to-day life. Like a beast grinding at the mill. Feel sorry for me, my friend.” (Clemenceau, G. (2010) : Claude Monet “ intime ”, Parkstone Press International, New York, p. 24).

Wow.

It is always fraught to use a visual medium to explain visual art. The illustrations in this biography are beautifully rendered by EFA and pay homage to (and mirror in many clever ways) the original subjects they depict. Many of the page setups are explained in the afterword: Monet’s Mirror: Behind the Canvas. These pages (about 15% of the total content) give the background and supporting information for the graphic novel and also include pictures and biographical info about the artists and models whose lives Monet touched in his long and productive life.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated and (so far as I am able to ascertain) unvarnished and accurate biography of Monet. 112 pages, hardcover and Kindle/comiXology versions.

Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know Monet's life so it is hard to judge how well it is covered in this book, but the story seems patchy. People come and go. Scenes change quickly. Perhaps the genre can only take an episode of a life and not the whole thing.

The art work is dark, giving the whole book a morose cast… but then his life is sad. It starts with a late in life eye operation and from there it goes to an unhappy childhood where art is the relief and then the adult life is poverty, failure and poverty. There are glimmers of levity of when he meets other young artists while studying in Paris and in his final success.

Monet’s treatment of his wife is abominable. In some places it’s hard to tell if the author is trying to show Monet's nonchalance or cynicism with the first person narrative given him.

I don't know if my negative reaction to this book is about the book or about Monet. He seems OK with having other people suffer for him.

[Ksenia (vaenn) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Тут справді цікавий матеріал, чітко сформульована ідея, це дуже круто намальовано, але, божечки, чому ж сторітелінг настільки booooooring? Проблема не у форматі (біоГрафічні романи бувають жвавішими), тут всі питання до наративу.

Загалом це така чесна спроба розповісти про Моне - людину (схоже, що не дуже приємну) та художника (революціонера, який вірив у свою зірку вже навіть за межею адекватності). От тільки про революціонера можна розповісти й цікавіше. А тут всі цікавинки візуального характеру, історія ж - пряма, як палка, і приблизно настільки ж вигадлива.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book.

Obviously, it's a biography of Monet, and it's an intriguing biography that reveals much about the artist, his subjects, his friendships, and the early Impressionist movement.

However, it's the art that really elevates this comic. It plays with impressionism, giving everything a very unique look, particularly the backgrounds which are often pure impressionist. It also plays with Monet's paintings, sometimes showing bits of them, sometimes alluding to them, sometimes showing them from other perspectives.

Overall, this is a wonderful book for any lover of Impressionism (and Monet specifically).

[Luly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pero por Dios que locura de novela gráfica. Probablemente de las más hermosas que leí. Las referencias a las pinturas de Monet y de otros artistas, los paisajes, los fondos, las luces cómo Monet va envejeciendo... Tremendo
Claramente me gustó mucho más el arte que el texto. Me gustó que esté contado como memorias, pero siento que lo que contaba no pegaba tanto con lo poético de la imagen, si bien podría interpretarse como un gran contraste entre la belleza del arte de Monet y su carácter de mierda.

[Carlex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime 😪

[Vivek KuRa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I had a chance to see Manet's painting "The Execution of the Emperor Maximilian" at New York Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) back in early 2000s, I assumed both Monet & Manet are the names of the same French artists but spelt different sometimes. This shows my knowledge (Or lack of it) of famous artists . But after reading this beautifully illustrated biography of Monet, I learned that they indeed were two different persons and they were contemporaries whose paths crossed several times.

Considered the father of the impressionist movement with great artistic gift to recognize "the space between the motif and canvas" and emphasize light, Monet's life was not easy .Instead it was a hard knocked life of an artist who was not recognized or celebrated in his life time like most of the famous artists. Book highlights the highs and lows of his artistic career in the midst of domestic troubles and constant indigence.

I loved the oil paint/gouache style illustrations of this book. Good Biography of the artist.

[Stephanie (aka WW) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.75 stars) I’m reading up on all things related to the Seine river in France before I go on a river cruise in June. Monet is famous for his impressionist paintings of the Seine and his gardens in Giverny (on the Seine). Like most leading-edge painters, Monet led a difficult life. He and his group struggled to find acceptance among the art leaders of the day and his obsession with capturing natural light led him to neglect his family and his health. I loved the art used to tell Monet’s story, reminiscent as it was of the artist’s style. I would have like to have seen more reproductions of the artist’s work, however. The book’s afterword, which explained how Monet’s paintings were adapted for illustrations in the body of the story, was actually more interesting to me than the story itself.

[Iryna · Rating 5 out of 5]

В цьому графічному романі текст грає неважливу, другорядну роль. Так, звісно, він розкаже вам основні моменти біографії художника, але не більше того. Розповідь ведеться доволі сухо, моментами вкрай спрощено і не завжди достовірно.
Але яка картинка! Боже, яка неймовірно смачна картинка! Ілюстратору вдалося дуже точно передати атмосферу робіт Моне, він зумів вловити ту ж гру світла, ту ж чуттєвість кольорів, яка притаманна імпресіоністам. Читання цього графічного роману перетворилося на безкінечне захоплення та спроби відгадати, яка ж реальна робота Моне майстерно вплетена в канву розповіді. Я певна, цю книгу переглядатиму ще не один раз.

[Álvaro Velasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Los pinceles de EFA emulando los de Monet, soberbios. Gran guion de Rubio.

[Mery_B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3'5

...lo importante es que allí concebí un sueño. Soñé con un lugar en el que ser feliz. Un lugar en medio de la naturaleza. Con agua cerca. Con muchas flores. Aire limpio. Luz. Color. Una familia. Un lugar en el que no cupiesen las preocupaciones. Donde no pensar en el dinero. Sin hambre. Sin deudas. Sin embargos. Sin acreedores.
Un lugar con una luz diferente a todas las luces.

[Sanchari · Rating 5 out of 5]

My earliest memory of Monet: working on a school project and flitting mechanically through wikipedia pages of different art movements. Then stumbling upon the page for Impressionism, where Monet's Impression, Sunrise is the first thing I see. It caught me by the heart and I couldn't scroll past it. I fell in love with the colors - the darker, sleepy background; the bright, vital spot of the sun; its reflection. The dreamlike boats, the gentle lull of the water. It is a beautiful painting, but then many paintings are. But Sunrise is also something much more than beauty, for me. It is a person's feelings caught on the canvas, for a delicate moment in time.

I'm not sure why I never explored Impressionism more. I loved everything I read about it then, and would proudly point at Sunrise when asked about my favorite painting. I did look up Monet's other paintings, and decided I loved Monet's trees the best.

I wasn't looking for this book, but the book found me instead (I despise Goodreads' awful app but I somehow landed on this book because of it - so the app is now forgiven). I read this because of the name first: Itinerant of Light sounds beautiful. Itinerant is also what my own name means.

I loved the book - the way it was narrated, the absolutely wonderful art, the choice of frames. I liked exploring the person behind my favorite painting. The end of the book talks about the different paintings that were used as references for the art - and this makes me want to read about art more, and more about Impressionism, Monet, and other artists like Renoir, who played an important role in Monet's life. Salva Rubio talks of Rewald's The History of Impressionism in the book, which is going to be my starting point. I realize the Rubio/Efa book skips over a substantial part of Monet's later life, and I look forward to filling the gap.

My favorite part of the book: at the end, where Monet's bandages - the result of his cataract surgery - are removed. In the book, upto that point, he was terrified of not being able to paint again, not being able to see again. But on opening his eyes, the panels in the book are of "through Monet’s eyes and in all their glory, the garden and the lake at Giverny" - with the water, the lillies, the willow trees. Just trying to imagine how that moment must feel - of being afraid of losing your sight which perhaps gave the greatest joy of your life, and then opening your eyes to see light again. What a perfect ending!

[Daniel B · Rating 4 out of 5]

So brilliantly structured! Loved the incorporation of the art into the panels. Monet came off far more unlikable than I expected (I really knew nothing about him).

[Andrey zz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Грандиозно

[Big Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous visual representation of Monet’s life. This graphic biography focuses on the highs and lows of Monet’s artistic career, from his flashes of inspiration to his persistent financial struggles as he continued to try and stay true to his unconventional painting style. Though it is not a very long graphic novel, it took me a very long time to read because of the stunning artwork on each page. It is drawn in a style that pays homage to Monet’s art and offers many cool behind the scenes looks at some of Monet’s most iconic paintings. A beautiful read that helped me gain a much richer appreciation of one of the OGs of the impressionist art movement.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent graphic novel depicts Monet's life.

A fascinating chronicle that brings one face to face with Monet's life, his struggles and his achievements. I found the graphic presentation challenging at the beginning, the background coloring seemed to swamp things but as Monet's life unfolded I came to appreciate those shadings that seemed for me to reflect the stages of his life and along the way incorporates references to the styles of Monet and his companions in the search for a new way of seeing. The illustrating is fantastic. There's a richness that the artist EFA (Ricard Fernandez) beings to bear. I'm awed. Sometimes I find the comments in the word balloons a little stilted, but to me that always is a product of this medium.
Graphic novels are not easy reading. I find they require more concentration than the written word. What I really enjoyed was that this medium, by its nature is in the first person. The engagement with the story is just so very immediate. Monet comes alive.
I must say that I really enjoyed looking at Monet's life through graphic spectacles. Using the visual to explore the visual is brilliant.
This is not a scholarly tome although obviously based on solid research. It is a wonderful biographical investigation, a great addition for a collector of works about Monet, or a collector of graphic novels. I would certainly add it to a school library collection, or give it as a present with a difference for someone I know would enjoy it.

A NetGalley ARC

[~:The N:~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick way to learn a thing or two about someone's life story - via graphic novel. Gorgeous art too.

[Laurelas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Après avoir lu beaucoup de BD biographiques sur des femmes (merci Catel & Bocquet pour tout ça notamment !) récemment, j'ai emprunté cette BD à la bibliothèque pour la parité (et puis parce que j'aime bien l'art de Monet, tout simplement).

C'est un très bel album, visuellement parlant, entre des semi-reproductions de tableaux de Monet (qui s'appelait Oscar-Claude, le saviez-vous ? moi non..) et de beaux dessins de l'artiste et de son entourage. Quant à l'histoire, elle raconte sa vie, de ses débuts avec son mentor Bourdin, jusqu'à la fin, où à Giverny il peint les Nymphéas tandis que quasiment tous ses contemporains et amis sont morts...

Une belle façon de découvrir un artiste qui n'aura de cesse de chercher à reproduire la nature et la lumière telle qu'il la perçoit, au gré de ses revers de fortune et aventures familiales... je n'ai d'ailleurs pas éprouvé grande sympathie à son égard et je ne sais pas si c'était voulu (il est tout de même montré sous un jour assez ambitieux et peu aimable parfois) ou si ce n'est que mon ressenti personnel.

À conseiller aux amateurs d'art (même si les plus férus de Monet n'y apprendront peut-être pas grand chose) mais pas que ! Je trouve de toute façon que les biographies mises en images à travers les BD sont toujours intéressantes et sont de belles introductions avant d'aller éventuellement plus loin dans la découverte d'un.e artiste/personnage historique.

[Julia Chupryna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Я ніби не з тих людей, хто плутає Моне з Мане (принаймні розрізняю їхні імена:), але часом, коли повністю поглинаєшся в тему і блукаєш шляхами яскравих персоналій імпресіонізму, то все скуйовджується з усим. Берта Морізо починає здаватись фігурою об яку спотикаєшся як об одвічні граблі, Ренуар виступає тільки другом Моне, Піссаро і Сезанн - десь взагалі по ту сторону орбіти. Але Оскар Клод тим і цікавий, що поєднує навколо себе не менш талановитих людей. Незбалансованість в інформаційних блоках життя/творчості повністю копменсує задум авторів зробити розкадровки коміксу з оригінальних робіт, десь вписуючи фігури в пейзажі, десь роблячи дзеркальне відображення, і якщо, ти в темі - то такого роду квест лише підсилює увагу до деталей та перевіряє на мистецьке чуття. Після нього залишається дозаповнювати свої лакуни чимось історійно насиченим і (не без сміливості) сформулювати власну мистецьку думку.

[Omama. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely book, telling life story of 19th century French painter Oscar-Claude Monet using his own technique of impressionism in the graphics, all the while lovingly recreating some of his own masterpieces. Fascinating, albeit heartbreaking and inspiring, as you will see over and over again, Monet's unwillingness to compromise his art and colours for the worldly roles and mundane affairs. A comic worth reading and having.