Claude Monet's family enjoyed a rural lifestyle outside the bustling city of Paris. Given the large family, living in the countryside was a necessary choice. For Monet, who preferred painting landscapes directly from nature, this lifestyle was ideal. Consequently, many of his paintings from this period are landscapes, unlike the works of Matisse and Picasso. As for portraits, they were mainly of his family.
Geese in the creek (1874)
The bridge at Argenteuil (1874)
The hallmark of Impressionism, particularly Monet's work, was capturing the transient changes of light over time with vivid expressions of color. His paintings often focused on reflections on the water, the smoke from trains, mist, fog, changes in form due to the wind, and the reflections of light during sunrise and sunset.
One significant location for Monet was the Saint-Lazare station. Located near Le Café Guerbois, the birthplace of the Impressionist movement, Édouard Manet painted "The Railway" (1873) near the station. Monet also visited this place but, unlike Manet, he focused on the dynamic smoke of the trains, capturing the changing colors over time in his paintings.
The pont de I'Europe, Gare Saint-Lazare (1877)
Saint-Lazare station, sunlight effect (1877)
The train (1873)
To find these points of color and inspiration, Claude Monet traveled extensively. He particularly favored the southern coast of France near Nice and the northern cliffs of Etretat. The idea of traveling, painting, and earning a living was indeed enviable.
Here are some paintings Monet created near Nice in southern France and the northern regions of Italy.
Olive tree wood in the Moreno Garden (1884)
The old fort at Antibes (1888)
And below are his paintings of the coastal cliffs near Etretat in northern France. Unlike the dark waters of the North Sea near Dunkirk, the waters to the left of Etretat are crystal clear like jewels.
I've visited this place myself, and it looks exactly the same as his paintings.
The cliftop walk at Pourville (1882)
The beach and the falaise d'Amont (1885)
During this time, Claude Monet would often paint the same scene multiple times from one spot to capture the flow of colors. He painted at sunrise, sunset, during fog, and in the wind, striving to capture the fleeting moments of light changes. Thus, many of Monet's paintings from his thirties onward depict the same scene at different times, showcasing different colors.
It's truly healing to just look at these paintings, knowing Monet could spend months or years in the beautiful Etretat, painting to his heart's content.
Etretat, Cliff of d'Aval, Sunset (1885)
Etretat the Aval door fishing boats leaving the harbour (1885)
The cliffs at Etretat (1886)
2024.07.02
