Claude Monet, the Garden at Sainte-Adresse Painter, was a renowned French artist accredited with landmark pieces of the Impressionist movement. In the painting, he uses styles that depict a shift from popular art styles of his day- Realism, by adopting Pointillism techniques of soft edges and a blend of spontaneous brushstrokes to capture a family day relaxing by the garden across the across La Havre and a magnificent view of Honfleur in the background (Olson, 2018). In the painting, Monet captures three characters, his father, two cousins, and their father in a masterful artwork that represents the social dynamics of the modern era. Also, in the long-distance are various steamships on transit to presumably other areas in the world. A masterpiece rejected in his time, the painting's subject matter, compresses different characters and styles in intentional efforts to showcase the social and economic dynamics of the modern world.
He uses the elements of color and even shapes to guide the audience to specific characters in his painting. First, he blends both pure and mixed colors to create a contrast that attracts the attention of viewers to the family characters in the painting. Using the flat shapes, he guides the viewers' focus to the distant steamships on transit to a different destination in the world to represent global commerce in the modern era(Olson, 2018). Intercontinental trade and strained family relations characterized the period. For example, he has a strained relationship with his father, who did not approve of his marriage.
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In painting, Monet employs an elevated angle technique from a focal point, and smooth brush sticks with a variety of dotted color spots as the core principles of his design. These principles are instrumental because they create an elevation which enhances the viewers focus on the flat surface of the Channel. Also, the smooth strokes develop a pattern to symbolize the sea as the connection to the outside world( Berrong, 2017). More so, painting generates a relaxed sensation to the viewer and also advances the significance of a leisure moment in the day. He captures, through the use of this style, a sense of clarity of how family ties are an essential aspect of the modern world. In addition to using these principle designs to depict an idyllic summer vacation moment among family members, he also incorporates horizontal color bands associated with the Japanese and Chinese culture as part of his message of the interconnectedness of the modern era.
The artist also uses his father as an iconic figure in the painting to further amplify his message of social relationships in contemporary society. In his adult life, he shares a strained relationship with his father because of his personal decisions regarding marriage. His father is sitting alone, is a way to show the existing isolation of his generation from the shifting cultural changes in the modern world. More so, it symbolically reveals his falling out with the French art school because of rebellious nature founded on his desire for freedom of self-expression and decision making not popular in his time(Olson, 2018). Other features of his painting, such as steamships are used to represent the global commerce and capitalistic characteristics of the modern era. Critical analysis of his works attests to the essence of pursuing one ambition, which may have been the reason why he included the steamship to depict the freedom of movement that modern infrastructure accorded the young generation in the modern era ( Whiting, 2019). After rejection from the French art school due to his persistence of adopting new styles of painting he sailed to Algeria, where he acquired the overshadowing techniques common in other works. The painting, from this perspective, is a representation of how the modern era society interacted and engaged on a global scale.
To conclude, the painting was one of the great works of the artist that helped to represent the diversity of the social dynamics of the modern era. Through adopting a unique style using color to create emphasis, he illustrates the ways that the contemporary era evolved. He was not only revealing his bold side but also represent the sensational feeling of the modern era. Impressionism was a movement that was inspired by the need to capture the moment despite everything else that was going on around. Although the dynamic changed, through the painting, he shows how society remains united as a family, and through his unique style, he boldly asserts on the need for freedom of expression in the modern era.
Part 2: Questions and Answers
Give the name of the artist and title of the work you have chosen to analyze and research. Describe the subject matter of the work you have selected. (3 - 5 sentences; 5 points)
The selected painted is Garden at Sainte-Adresse by Claude Monet. The 1867 artwork depicts a view of a garden across La Havre with a magnificent view of Honfleur in the Background. Monet captures three characters, his father two cousins and their father in masterful artwork that blends different style including smooth brushwork rendered with sparkling spots of blue.
What are the most important elements and principles used by the artist and why? (5 - 8 sentences; 5 points)
The painting uses an elevated grid combined with relatively even shapes that creates an illusion of two dimensionality that also incorporated linear scaffolds composed with a dynamic loud colors that produced a subtle tension. These elements and principle are of great significance because they are representative of impressionist movement which was a shift from the traditional plein-aerism common with view painting. They are symbolic to his unique impressionist styles that became dominant with his artworks.
What year was this composition completed and what artistic movement, style, or art historical period did the artist work in? Describe key events or influences from the artist’s life that may have impacted the creation of this specific composition. (3 - 5 sentences; 5 points; Please make sure to cite your source for this information – Wikipedia is not considered a reliable academic source)
The artwork was completed in 1867 during a time when the popular art movement was realism that emerged after Romanticism. The era was realism used a style that emphasized a naturalistic representation of art without artificiality or mystical superficiality of characters. It focused on depicting things as they were including issues in society. However, this composition deviated from the style popular at the time and followed the Impressionism movement that emerged and largely influenced by their experiences of rejection of French artists and symbolized freedom in expression without fear of rejection(Olson, 2018). His interaction with Jacques-François Ochard at the French school of art may have influenced his views because they professed the freedom of art in creation.
What are the key features or characteristics of this work and its style? (3 - 5 sentences; 5 points; You may wish to refer to chapters 16 – 20 of your textbook to help answer this prompt)
The Impressionist movement used “broken” , large, visible strokes that combined pure and mixed color to capture modernism through an intense color contrast. The style was by far loose. Also, they were done in spontaneous patterns that revealed verve of the subjects or the scenes.
Compare and contrast the subject matter of the work you have selected with the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. (5 - 8 sentences; 5 points; You may wish to refer to chapters 16 – 20 of your textbook to help answer this prompt.)
The Mona Lisa and the Garden at Sainte-Adresse portray distinct subject matter because while one symbolizes the renaissance the latter capture modern and the pleasures that comes with it. Mystery and imagination shroud Da Vince’s work while elicits sensual sentiments of life. However, the philosophical representation of both painting converges in that both capture elemental pleasures of life associated with secularism and modernity. The compistion of the Monet is luminous and the view recedes in parallel two-dimensional way. In contrast, the Mona Lisa’s imagery view recedes in an aerial perspective. To some extent the Monal Lisa depicts Romanticism while Garden at Sainte-Adresse may represent familial dynamics in the modern era between children and their parents.
Compare and contrast the style of the work you have selected with the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. How does the art movement or art historical period your artist worked in differ from the High Renaissance? (5 - 8 sentences; 5 points)
The Mona Lisa, unlike the Garden at Sainte-Adresse uses a liner perspective that employs the use of rigid lines that helps to create 3 dimensional perspective of the Landscape view. The High Renaissance and Impressionist art movement was different because while the latter produced art that captured real subjects, the former emphasized history, perception. More so, the Impressionism era artist were more bent towards using colored composition to create luminosity of color the latter used to illuminate volumes. Also the Pointillism and asymmetrical edge used in the Impressionist era is a radical shift from the High Renaissance era.
What is the size and medium of this composition? What are some key features (benefits and limitations) of using this specific medium? (3 – 5 sentences; 5 points)
The Garden at Sainte-Adresse is 38 5/8 x 51 1/8 inches in size. It is painted on an oil canvas. The use of Oil Canvas medium has several limitations that include a slow drying time frame. Also, paint can easily mistakenly blend affect the artwork.
Where was the work originally located, if known, or where is the work currently located? Based on this location, what type of audience views or could have viewed this composition in the past? (a private audience versus a public audience, certain social classes, vocations, genders, nationalities, ethnicities, etc.) (3 - 5 sentences; 5 points; Please make sure to cite your source for the location information – Wikipedia is not considered a reliable academic source)
The artwork is currently located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ("Claude Monet | Garden at Sainte-Adresse | The Met," n.d.). In current location, the artwork has attracted variety of audience including wealthy collectors, renowned contemporary artists who source inspiration from such pieces. Also, students may have viewed the art work in the museum because it is open to public viewing. In essence, the painting attracts a variety of audience because it open for viewership by the open public.
In your opinion, what value does this work have in society and why? (monetary/economic, intrinsic/aesthetic, societal, functional, educational, etc.)(3 – 5 sentences; 5 points)
In your opinion, why should this work be preserved for future generations? (3 – 5 sentences; 5 points)
The painting has value to the future generation because it marked an important era in history. The Impressionist movement will be valuable to future generation because it teaches them the value of personal freedom and expression. It is symbolic of the pursuit of personal happiness which will be very fundamental lesson to the future generations. Therefore it is important to preserve it.
References
Olson, D. W. (2018). Monet in Le Havre: Origins of Impressionism. In Further Adventures of the Celestial Sleuth (pp. 97-123). Springer, Cham.
Whiting, J. (2019). Claude Monet. Mitchell Lane.
Berrong, R. M. (2017). Putting Monet and Rembrandt into Words: Pierre Loti's Recreation and Theorization of Claude Monet's Impressionism and Rembrandt's Landscapes in Literature. The University of North Carolina Press
