Four Trees
Claude Monet
Oil on canvas
1891
The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York City
(The paintings at the
Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart were similar. I remember
crying telling Steven about them, and
how thick the paint was, and how Monet
went back as many as 60 times to
get the mood and lighting right!)
I've been working on a large painting for most of the past week for a show next week. For me sometimes painting is a back and forth thing. This is one of those times. But I came upon this image today, which reminded me of the time Steven and I were in Stuttgart, Germany because he had a work assignment there, and I went to visit the Staatsgalerie alone. It was a beautiful gallery, with an incredible collection.
I love the work of Monet, in fact we named our cat after him (a girl cat), and I am always blown away when I see his work. But when I saw his poplar series (this is one of them) in Stuttgart I was deeply moved. The description on the wall at the gallery said that Monet had returned to the sight as many as 60 times to get the light and colours exactly right. The paintings were very thick with paint, and I was so touched at his devotion. I just read now that the trees were going to be cut down, and Monet had to pay for the trees so he could finish his paintings. Amazing.
So back to my project. Yes I can do it. Thank you Monet.
Have a loving your life day.
2 comments:
How fortunate you are to have seen so many original works of art in major museums.
I remember in the late 60’s when Toronto hosted a retrospective of Picasso. I was a young art student and had my first “ah-ha” moment when I discovered that there were layers of paint and that the canvas was visible in some spots. I could see there was a story in the making of the painting.
Thanks for posting this. Painting…I’ve not seen it before. Xo
Thanks so much Flora,
Yes I do feel very lucky. Can't wait to head back to Paris to the Orangerie to see the Monets again.
Love your work,
Barbara
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