Claude Monet
Brushwork and Use of Color in Claude Monet’s Bathing at La Grenouillere Born in Paris, France, Claude Monet began to develop as a young and inspiring artist in the town of Le Havre. After briefly serving in the military, Monet returned to Paris and continued to explore different forms of art, as well as, developing friendships with painters including Édouard Manet, Frédéric Bazille, and Auguste Renoir. After marrying his wife, Camille in 1870, the two were constantly traveling until they settled in Argenteuil, where Monet produced his most famous and well-known works (Claude). Unlike in Monet’s previous works of smooth blended surfaces, he was beginning to move away from his past and began to use short brushstrokes to create a painting with individual lively colors. Contrasting with other traditional landscape artists of his day, Claude Monet “based his art on perceptual rather than conceptual knowledge” (Claude). Moving away from his previous artwork, Monet became progressively more modern than ever before. The artist’s characteristic of brushwork and use of color is shown in Claude Monet’s Bathing at La Grenouillere. Monet’s use of brushwork in Bathing at La Grenouillere reflects his artistic expression of characters (Monet). The painting captures an outdoor’s scenery. The vigorous brushwork of the painting represents the various scenes shown throughout the painting. Monet “rejected traditional, smooth brushwork…instead; his varied handling helps to evoke the actual natural textures” (Januszczak). The brushwork in Bathing at La Grenouillere is distinguishable and an individual can tell the difference between each hair on the brush (Januszczak). Brisk brushwork creates the impression of an apparent texture that Monet uses to create nature scenes. The use of bold brushwork throughout Bathing at La Grenouillere suggests that, “His brushwork is strongly descriptive, catching the character of different forms. Long unbroken strokes outline the boats, short
Cited: "Claude Monet." The Impressionists. A&E Television Networks, 2007. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. Monet, Claude. Bathing at La Grenouillere. 1869. Artchive. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. Januszczak, Waldemar. Bathing at La Grenouillere, by Claude Monet, Techniques of the Great Masters of Art (1996): n.pag. Web. 12 Oct. 2010