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This is a brief insight into the color choices and techniques of the Father of Impressionism, Claude Monet.
- Even though Monet is considered the Father of impressionism, his paintings were not done spontaneously. In fact, Monet studied his subject intensely, planned ahead, and worked meticulously to achieve his results.
- Claude Monet paintings are often in sequence of the same subject because he often painted a series of the same subject to capture the changing effects of the light, swapping canvases as the day progressed. Monet painted many subjects again and again, but every one of his series paintings is different, whether it’s a painting of a water lily or a hay stack.
- Many figure that Claude Monet painted his masterpieces on-location, when in-fact; many of his oil paintings were painted or finished back in his studio.
- Monet used a limited palette. Not many earth tones found their way into the Claude Monet canvas.
- According to James Heard’s book “Paint Like Monet,” Monet used ten main colors:
- Lead white (modern equivalent = titanium white)
- Chrome yellow (modern equivalent = cadmium yellow light)
- Cadmium yellow
- Viridian green
- Emerald green
- French ultramarine
- Cobalt blue
- Madder red
- Vermilion
- Ivory black
Just thought I’d clear the smoke from some of the things you hear about Claude Monet. He was a great artist, and his vanguard approach earns him the right to be considered the father of the most admired art movement of the modern era.
I have a Monet Calender 2007. For September, the painting is “On the Beach at Trouville” 1870-71 oil on canvas. The caption says it was painted while Monet was vacationing with painter Eugene Boudin and his wife. There shows two women in the forground and various people in the background. The caption states they are the painter’s wives. I believe they are the same woman (not 2 women) She has a expressionless look on her face in the chair and also seated in the sand the same exact woman is reading a book. She looks like she is a unhappy woman in two different settings, while the people in the background are frolicking on the beach and enjoying themselves.