Monet

by Matthias Arnold, Anne Wyburd (Translator)

Claude Monet (1840-1926) spent most of his career painting his own spontaneous impression of nature. He gave the title of Impressionism to the school of art he created together with Manet, Renoir, Pissaro, Caillebotte and Sisley. Today, Claude Monet belongs to the classic painters of all times: not only was he the most important of the impressionists, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest of his profession. Paul Cézanne paid him the most telling compliment: 'Monet is an eye, the most wonderful eye since there have been artists.' The man Monet, however, has remained hidden behind the work of the artist, despite the fact that the man left numerous autobiographical notes about himself, which together with other contemporary sources, paint the picture of a strong yet contradictory character. Monet united in himself many admirable but also less pleasant features: He could be at the same time depressed and euphoric, stingy and extravagant, opportunistic and unyielding, obstinate and compromising, selfish and utterly selfless. After the young artist had ambitiously planned his career, fame - when it eventually came - did not mean that much to him. The well-documented history of Impressionism will not be re-drawn here. It is the man and the artist Monet who will be critically portrayed and who will become more tangible and real to the reader. This new biography sheds light on the man and places him in context as a sensitive artist of his time.

Genres: Art

182 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Bhavina! · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've purchased on Art History and I don't regret it one bit! I've been fascinated by art history and its key figures for sometime now. I loved plunging into Monet's (pronounced Mo-nay, I learnt that the hard way) life and understanding what it meant to be a painter during his time. I also learnt a lot about loss and hardship he faced to gain the recognition he has today. He honestly went from begging his friends for money because no one would buy his paintings to making thousands off one painting.

I think this book has taught me a lot and I look forward to reading more on art history too.

[Ibtihal · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cool !! i love monet the painter and i enjoyed learning abt monet the person ! even though he was a little shit !!

[Pete daPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite recent publication this, from 2005, if that means anything in the art world. Matthias Arnold is a German art historian who specialises in the impressionist field. In under two hundred pages, this book is a quick read, yet has a quite insightful biography of the artist. To be quite honest, I've read other books in the past on this same subject, and my only reason for lifting this one off the library shelf is to just look at the pictures.