Monet's Trees: Paintings and Drawings by Claude Monet

by Ralph Skea

A powerful testament to the ephemeral beauty of nature from one of the best-loved and most-influential landscape painters of the last 150 years “I perhaps owe it to flowers,” wrote Claude Monet (1840–1926), “that I became a painter.” His fascination with trees, while perhaps of equal intensity, is less well-documented. One of the leading figures of the Impressionist movement and perhaps the most celebrated landscape painter of his age, Monet dedicated his life to capturing the subtleties of the natural world. Trees―willows enveloped in the eerie mists of the Seine, palm trees beneath the bright Mediterranean sun, poplars heavily laden with snow―became a significant motif in his work, and he used them to experiment with an extraordinary variety of tones and colors. Ralph Skea explores Monet’s depictions of trees across more than seventy works, including finished oil paintings and more fleeting sketches in oil, pastel, and pencil.

The book is divided into five main chapters, each focusing on a different Monet’s earliest drawings and paintings of trees; his atmospheric use of rivers and coastlines from England to Italy; the fields, farmlands, and orchards of France; parks and gardens in both the city and the countryside; and his muted depictions of trees in winter. Skea’s introduction draws together these threads, putting them in the context of Monet’s ouvre as a whole and tracing his artistic development. 84 illustrations

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2015

Reviews

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Monet so I really needed this book. I would definitely recommend if you like Monet's work.

[Connor Botherway-Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming to this book, I already had an enormous respect for Monet's MASTERY of colour, and creating an opportunity for emersion for the reader. In which his strokes are lively enough to suggest movement. You can hear the gentle rustles of leaves in the calm Parisian breeze. But not so much that the energy is overwhelming.

But now, post-reading, I see with greater clarity not only his indisputably impressively skilled handsmenship which I was already in awe of, but also the delicacy of his eye. The way he deconstructed what he saw into the subtlest of fractions. The way he laboured with love, and the way he truly took care.

The reproduction quality is gorgeous, and each illustration is perfectly matched to the text. Stand-alone a beautiful photo essay, If one wished to contemplate just the images. And the flow of each page is never too fast, nor too slow. Mirroring the tempo of the collection it arranges. Flawlessly tasteful - unreservedly respectful.

The best publication of Monet's work I've had the pleasure to study.

Perfect.

[Novia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way Skea explained the paintings were very clear; his analyses careful but not pedantic. Enjoyable read.

Side-note: I'm very happy that I had actually read the words and did not just stare at the paintings but here are the ones I've starred (in my heart):

Boulevard des Capucines, 1873
Spring, 1886
Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1867
Garden of the Princess, Louvre, 1867
The Cart, Road under Snow at Honfleur, 1865
Frost, 1875
The Church at Vétheuil, Snow, 1879
Ice Floes, 1893
Olive Trees in the Moreno Garden, 1884

[Noëmie N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acheté le 3 août à la Samaritaine et lu le lendemain. Je l'avais déjà repéré l'année dernière. J'ai bénéficié de 5€ dessus.

Monet est le chef de file des impressionnistes, ayant vécu au Havre.

Le fait qu'il ne vienne pas de la campagne lui permet éventuellement d'avoir un regard différent sur ls paysages, de prêter attention à des détails que des personnes qui y sont nées ne remarquent plus.

Tableau remarquable : Morning on the Seine, Giverny (1896-97).

Dommage que les musées où se trouvent les oeuvres ne soient pas indiqués.

Ernest HOSCHEDE -> collectionneur de tableaux impressionnistes, fût le premier détenteur de "Impression, soleil levant". Lorsque ses magasins lui font faire faillite, il perd sa collection et se réfugie chez son ami Monet.

[Alex Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read about one of my favourite artists.

Skea does a good job at guiding the reader through Monet’s life (not chronologically) and his influences. He also does very well at explaining Monet’s love of trees throughout his life and the impact that trees do have on his art.

As a reader, the book shows us many pieces of art from Monet and Skea does really well at explaining the impact that the depicted trees have on the overall composition.

[Matthew Blais · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s physically too small to really function well as a reference, and the writing isn’t particularly illuminating or interesting. too bad, because this is like my ideal book and i suspect it may actually have been specifically tailored to me and my tastes.

despite the rating i’d love to own a copy, unless anyone can recommend a better book on the same subject?

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchased this book last summer (2017) at the National Gallery of Art while in D.C. for an arboriculture conference. As a professional arborist I really enjoyed being able to focus specifically on Monet's incorporation of trees into so many of his pieces.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Monet’s work seems to support the view held by writer Emile Zola that art is nature seen through a temperament.”

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Monet’s favourite landscape elements - sky, clouds and trees…” mio padre !!!

[Mills College Library]

759.4 S6271 2015

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous prints illustrate a discussion of Monet's artwork depicting trees.