Analysis of Visual Contexts

Towards the end of the 1800s, the socially-correct art grounded in realism and perfection began to slowly be questioned by more avant-garde artists. A few artists of the time, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro, were ready for a departure from the customary still-lifes of the day. Instead, they choose to focus on evoking feelings through their works by using color and light. These men are known as the founders of the art movement coined Impressionism. This artistic style employs rough, quick brush strokes to achieve the goal of light and movement. Most often, these paintings are completed in the open air and many details are often forgotten, or perhaps overlooked, in order to capture the exactness of the moment of time. Impressionism paved the way for the avant-garde art forms that followed it, such as abstract and cubism. One of the founders of the Impressionism movement, Claude Monet, was a painter born in Paris, France. The following art pieces include four of his original works and one influencing work of a fellow painter, Eugene Boudin.




“The Cliff, Étretat, Sunset” by Claude Monet, 1882

Étretat is a small fishing village off of the Normandy coast of France and a popular spot among Impressionistic painters. Monet completed a series of works here, focusing on the unique rock structures protruding out from the coast. It is estimated that Monet produced 22 works from the landscape at Etretat. Monet’s piece speaks directly to the heart of impressionist painting. The brush strokes are rough, painted in quickly to capture the fleeting light. The shadows are created with colors, not just black. The water evokes feelings of movement and depth, along with elements of reflection. A unique discovery about this piece was made in 2012. A group of astrophysicists journeyed to France in hopes of establishing the exact time of Monet's painting. The low setting sun made this painting unique and served as a useful tool in their analysis. After finding Monet's exact vantage point and by digitally recreating the sky from the 1880s, the team was able to conclude that the painting was completed on February 5 at 4:53 pm.





“Personnages sur la plage de Trouville” by Eugene Boudin, 1865

Monet’s friend and fellow artist Eugene Boudin painted “Personnages sur la plage de Trouville” in 1865, about a decade before the formal dawn of Impressionism. He was one of the first artists to depict patrons relaxing at the beach, for around this time, fainting was a common ailment in Europe and many people were being sent to the coast to relax. Boudin recommended Monet take up Impressionism painting, especially paintings of nature and the coast. Monet was at the time a struggling artist fighting to gain acceptance within The Academy. It was because of Boudin that Monet traveled to the Normandy coast and began to paint in the Impressionistic manner. Boudin’s promptings succeeded in producing one of the most revered Impressionistic painters within the art community.





Graphite caricature of Henri Cassinelli by Claude Monet, 1858

Monet spent time in London making a name for himself by drawing charcoal caricatures. His friend and fellow artist, Eugene Boudin, felt he could produce so much more. It is recorded that Boudin said, “Come on, Claude — your caricatures are fun, but it's not real art,' ...'I mean art; I mean painting, Claude, painting!” (Stamberg). Boudin was right–Monet did have more to give, especially in the realm of painting. Once Monet fully committed to creating Impressionist work (after a short stint spent trying to create still-lifes), he quickly amassed hundreds of paintings, many of which were not accepted during his lifetime, but came to be valued years later.





“Women in the Garden” by Claude Monet, 1866

Monet was just a young painter at the age of 27 when he completed “Women in the Garden”. This piece includes four women, that of which his wife posed as a muse for all. Although very much a common-day still-life, a story line is missing from this painting. The art community was not impressed with Monet’s work and rejected it. This rejection, due to the lack of a story line and poorly executed academic art techniques, is speculated to be a reason why Monet took the opportunity to explore a new, unique type of painting. Monet had exhausted himself trying to conform to the stylistic conventions of the day. He was now ready to heed Boudin’s advice and venture out into the world of Impressionism.





“Impressionism, Sunrise” by Claude Monet, 1872

The fundamentals of impressionist art may have been established before the creation of “Impressionism, Sunrise”, but a name was not. This piece is where the name of this art form originated. This was one of the first pieces Monet completed and it was widely debated among the art community. Critics analyzed the short, crude brushstrokes and the bright, unblended colors. Many failed to appreciate this style of painting until years later. Modern art scholar Margaret Samu says, “Indeed, its life [impressionism] seems as fleeting as the light effects it sought to capture. Even so, Impressionism was a movement of enduring consequence, as its embrace of modernity made it the springboard for later avant-garde art in Europe.



Works Cited

Burks, Robin . “Physicist Figures out Exact Date and Time of Monet Painting.” Tech           Times . N.p., 6 Sept. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.                

        http://www.techtimes.com/articles/14953/20140906/physicist-places-exact-           date-and-time-on-monet-painting.htm


“Permanent Collection .” North Carolina Museum of Art . NCMA, n.d. Web. 29 Mar.         2016. http://ncartmuseum.org/art/detail/the_cliff_tretat_sunset



Stamberg, Susan . “Eugene Boudin: The Man Who Inspired Monet.” npr. npr, 1 July           2010. Web. 29 Mar. 2016. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?               storyId=128174560


“Women in the Garden (1866-7).” Encyclopedia of Art Education . N.p., n.d. Web.            29 Mar. 2016. http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/paintings-analysis/women-in-          the-garden.htm