Another Historical Analysis? Claude Monet.

“Sketch of Woman and Umbrella”

By: Claude Monet

Brief Bio- Oscar Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a French painter who “looked to nature for inspiration and use vibrant light and color”, and he was a main figure in the Impressionist movement. His artwork, below, was done with oil on canvas and called “Sketch of Woman and Umbrella” (1866).

When I first look at Monet’s artwork, I see the brightness and pureness of his use of color which makes my body fill up with a sense of sweet, happiness and peace. The first thing you probably notice is his brush stokes (or lines). He uses small and almost quick brush stokes for the texture of the grass blades; when you add the color, it makes the painting have atmospheric perspective since most of the darker value lines, of the grass, are closer to the bottom of the picture and the lighter are more towards the back. The use of color and value are also important in the shadow of the woman and the lady figure herself because it forms . One is able to picture exactly which direction the sun is shining and the effect the light has on the overall depth of the value.

Now focus your attention to the sky. See the different texture Monet uses to separate the ground from the sky. He makes the sky seem fluffy like and serene. It took me a bit to actually notice, but I assume when Monet painted this artwork, it was windy outside. Their are certain “clues” that help support the movement of the wind. The main one is the woman’s scarf, since it is not resting on her but instead it’s pretty much horizontal. Also back in the day, ladies who used umbrellas during the day had them to block the sun and the wind. The last two examples are the direction of the dress and the grass are going. They both face the direction of the scarf. Isn’t it amazing how just a few minor details make this painting more natural and alive!?

Claude Monet’s exquisite artwork is very moving. His emphasizes the piece not just around the women with an umbrella but around the beauty of nature too. He is able to make the painting flow all together with texture but still look distinguishable compared to not being able to tell what-is-what.

Works Cited:

"Claude Monet Biography - life, family, name, death, wife, young, information, born, time, year." Encyclopedia of World Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ma-Mo/Monet-Claude.html>.

"Claude Monet Study of a Figure Outdoors (Facing Left) Poster Print." Monet Giverny Directory. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. <http://www.interagir.com/?entryID=61>.