Monet in Giverney Landscapes of Reflection

by Benedict Leca (Editor)

This beautifully illustrated book takes a fresh look at some of the masterpieces Claude Monet painted between 1883 and 1926 in and around his garden near Paris. His depiction of iconic motifs such as the Japanese footbridge, water lilies, and wisterias are characterized by subtle colouring and expressive brushwork, making these paintings among the most innovative of late 19th and early 20th-century French art.

Monet in Landscapes of Reflection takes reflection in all of its meanings as the governing as a literal motif as well as a metaphor for both Monet’s experimentation and a reflection of his own theories on art. Four illustrated essays explore the importance of Monet’s garden as a continuing source of inspiration, and examine his work in Giverny in the context of developments in painting and photography. A firsthand account of the garden, written in 1891 by French author and art critic Octave Mirbeau has been translated for this book by author Benedict Leca.

Features 12 famous paintings from Allen Memorial Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Dayton Art Institute, the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art,

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of essays reflects on the paintings in the Monet in Giverney exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum in the spring of 2012. I had to shift some gears to read about art but by the third essay I had slowed down enough to understand that writing about art is a great way to help people see much more in a painting. The first essay helps the reader consider the idea of reflection, first in water and then in our minds. The third essay was a terrific exploration of parallels between Monet's paintings and the development of photography, which happened at the same time. The last essay described the garden that Monet painted for so many years.