Monet: The Essential Paintings (Anne Sefrioui)

The essential work of an extraordinary artist, in a gorgeous accordion-fold format that affords the viewer a vivid illustration of Monet's artistic development. This boxed set brings together the essential works of Claude Monet (1840-1926), considered by art history as the father of Impressionism. It presents, through a chronological selection of fifty paintings, his long and brilliant career. Although he did not neglect urban and modern subjects, the representation of nature undeniably constitutes the heart of his work. It was the object of his incessant research, without the artist ever losing sight of what was essential to him: the truth of his sensations. From the faithful transcription of the landscape in his early days to the gestural writing of the final Water Lilies, the book allows us to follow and understand the evolution of his creation. The themes of Monet's work (the seashore, the Seine, gardens, the seasons and more) are discussed, as well as the techniques he used, such as the decomposition of light and color through brushstrokes, the use of repetition and series to better reflect atmospheric variations, and the progressive dissolution of forms, which led to Monet being considered a precursor of abstraction. Included in this title are gorgeous reproductions of such iconic works as Coquelicots and Nymphéas (Water Lilies).