Claude Monet: The Color of Time - Softcover

Spate, Virginia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0500282730 ISBN 13: 9780500282731

Publisher: Thames & Hudson, 2001

Synopsis

Monet is one of the greatest Impressionists as well as being the most popular, yet books about him have concentrated either on aesthetic or on social aspects of his work without attempting a synthesis. Here Virginia Spate provides a full interpretation of Monet's paintings, examining the various ways in which they can be read; the tension between image and reality that energizes them; and the mysterious interactions between the work, its exhibition, promotion, and sale, and its reception both in public and in private. Based on a study of the artist's complete oeuvre, his surviving letters, and contemporary documentary material, this is the fullest account available of a complex and influential man whose style changed and evolved considerably during his long career. Monet's often neglected figure paintings, always of family or friends, are analyzed alongside his landscapes, which ranged from river scenes to steam-filled railway stations. Changes in his output in response to shifts in demand are linked to the new system of art dealers and to his financial situation. The France of Monet's youth and maturity is covered in depth, especially the traumatic legacy of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune; and his famous garden at Giverny is shown to be both a personal utopia and a vital part of his creative processes. This definitive treatment of a hugely important artist makes an indispensable contribution to the art history of Impressionism and the roots of modernism. 135 color and 165 b/w illustrations. Originally published in hardcover under the title: Claude Monet: Life and Work.

About this title

About the Author

Virginia Spate holds the Chair in the Department of Fine Art at the Power Institute, University of Sydney, where she also serves as Director. She has organized and contributed to several exhibitions, including French Painting 1760-1830, Claude Monet: Painter of Light, and Frantisek Kupka.

Review

A major contribution to cultural history, as well as art history ....it will replace all previous studies. -- Linda Nochlin

Art book of the year. -- The Independent

Astonishes the reader with the extent of its probing inquiry into the work of Monet. -- Evening Standard

Dazzling ....I cannot imagine how we have done without it. -- Marina Vaizey, Financial Times

Spate scores on energy, inclusiveness, and her use of illustration... -- Observer

The fullest account possible of a complex and influential man. -- Artworld

Edition details

• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0500282730
• ISBN 13: 9780500282731
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 348