Claude Monet Gladioli Essay

The painting, Gladioli, by Claude Monet is temporarily on display in the Italian wing of the Detroit Institute of Art. Due to the renovations being made to the newer sections of the museum, only the "old", main area of the museum is open to the public during the construction, so Gladioli had to be moved in order to be put on display Located on the right side of the main entrance the Italian wing is a one large room. Every available space on the walls is filled with paintings, and the center of the room is filled with sculptures. Tucked back in the far right corner of this room is our masterpiece, a spotlight from the high ceiling lights the work. At first glance the painting is unassuming and appears to be rather dull in it 's content and subject matter. Upon further review, one can begin to see the tremendous amount of skill and effort the artist has put into this piece. Up close the painting looks like a series of dots and random brush strokes, if one steps ten feet back the painting comes alive!
The painting 's dimensions are 22 x 32.5 inches and is surrounded by a ten inch thick ornate gold frame making the entire work measure a substantial 30 x 20 x 3 7/8 inches. The painting depicts a women in blue, strolling along a path, in a formal garden, shaded by a green parasol. Pink, red and purple gladiolas, in full bloom, are in the right foreground. They are bordered by a low growing, coral colored flowers and small shrubs line the path. White moths fly amongst the flowers, and the angular dark shadow of a nearby building, that is just outside of the painting, lies in the left foreground. Behind the women in blue there are red roses growing up a lattice and a picket fence or gate is located just behind the gladiolas in the background. The path is interrupted by the square shadow of a nearby building, perhaps a gardening shed or the artist 's