Getting Together With Monet

  I guess it was about two weeks ago...We took the train to Rome for a day trip. There is a Monet exhibition going on, which seemed like a must see, and we needed to visit a favorite spot for lunch.

  I wrote about the day here, but really wanted to go more into the actual exhibition a little more.

  I was quite taken by this show

  The paintings are on loan from the delightful Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris. We have been there a few times, but not in well over a decade. Honestly, I just don't remember being so blown away by the work. 

  Silly me.

  On entering the show, you walk through a gently moving video display of Monet's waterlilies. A very nice effect.

Arriving early was great We had the place mostly to ourselves.

  The first piece you come across is this good sized painting of white clematis, which I loved. 

  The wall colors they chose were just perfect, and both Johnny and I started thinking about a color 'accent wall' in the new gallery...

  There are some lovely landscapes represented in the show, this one, below, being my favorite .

  It's so simple, it seems as though it wasn't even finished. 

  My first hit... "This guy was pretty modern for his day".

  Silly me. 

  The '"Father of Impressionism"?  Yeah, he was way out there for his time, of course.

Love.

  I really enjoyed seeing the display which includes his palette, his last pair of glasses, and his smoking pipe. All very cool, but the palette drew me right in, as I am always taking photos of Johnny's palette as he paints.

  As we worked through the earliest pieces, which I liked, and got into the rooms featuring the later works from his garden in Giverny, I started seeing these as abstract paintings.

  I know that Monet could not see well in his later days, which helped to create this particular effect so well, but I never really stood and looked the way I did on this day.

Sure, it's a painting of a reflection in water, but I just see color and line.
But... what color, and what line...

  I knew right away I wanted to write my impressions of the exhibition, so I took photos of the paintings that I sort of centered in on...the whole painting, then close ups, which I was excited by. Seeing the paint strokes so close, and the blending colors. 

  Each canvas had interesting 'moments of abstraction', at least to me.

  I always mention, when writing about art, that I don't have any solid art education, I just know what I react to. I am not pretending to be a critic...I just like or don't like. 

  

This is me reacting to Monet- Hey, Monet...I like!

Wonderful shape, color and movement.

  I loved the larger pieces that had lots of negative space.

Rose arbor.

Up close.

  One space has three large horizontal paintings. Two featuring a wisteria vine, and one water lily piece.

  These were so loose, they took my breath away.

  This one was like smoke, it was so light and loose.

A very gentle touch, but with so much power.

Almost not there at all.

   The large water lily painting made me instantly think of Joan Mitchell, one of my favorite Abstract Expressionist painters from back in the day.

So much white space here.

Up close, it's just so marvelous.
So contemporary.

  There are also several weeping willow paintings, as well. A very different feel, as they are very dark.

  But to me, very abstract in form, and so much 'action'.

Up close.

  

  I felt so honored to be able to get right up to these paintings to get the close up shots. 

  Each one had several small areas that were standouts.

  These are more representational, but still have these small 'moments' within them that I was so drawn to.

Very active.
Great color combination.

I love this subtle color combo.
Nice lines, too.

You can get right in there and see each brush stroke.

  At one point, I ran back to the willow tree room to get shots of this one...I just couldn't help myself.

This is it's own abstract painting, within the painting.

  Last one for me, the Rose Path.
  Having been in this garden, in Giverny, made this show more special. For sure.
  Seeing these paintings again, some ten years later, with a more developed consciousness of contemporary art, expressionism and abstraction, made this a visual feast.
  And I ate it up.

Wow. Just wow.

Thanks, Claude.

  The show has been extended until sometime in June:
  Monet in Rome ....Now!