Currently at the Frist in Nashville Tennessee, The Red Boat at Argenteuil is a supreme example of Monet's landscape painting style. In the mix of other Impressionism paintings at the Birth of Impressionism exhibition at the Frist Center, there isn't much of a difference in this painting from the others. The Red Boat at Argenteuil stuck out at me because this is a painting I have seen since I was younger. When I was smaller I had a print of this Monet masterpiece hanging in my room. As a young child, bright, contrasting colors seem to catch one's easily rather easily. The Red Boat at Argenteuil was painted with contrasting reds, greens and blues-- colors easily recognized by name for a small child.
Many of Monet's paintings show the spectrum of seasons changing. The Red Boat is clearly identified as a summer's day- the water is still and clear, the trees are green and the sky is nearly cloudless. The sails of all the boats have been taking down and the movement in this painting in very still showing again how nature is a calm force. To make his painting as appealing landscapes, Monet eliminated grey tones from his palette. Contrasting to the ideals of the Impressionism movement-- which attempted to capture the most natural form of the subjects-- Monet bended the rules a bit to preserve the beauty of natural in an almost exaggerated form.
Monet in the midst of his career moved to Argenteuil to work on his career in nature. For The Red Boat at Argenteuil and many of his other works based at the sea, Monet used a boat- studio to be in the water as he painted. Although Monet tried to remove greys from his color palette to highlight the strongest colors in nature, there is some grey still in the sky and water and even some of the boats. The Red Boat, and subject of the painting, is a rust colored red, perhaps to mimic the natural reaction of water on metals (represented by the grey). Many of Monet's paintings show the spectrum of seasons changing. The Red Boat is clearly identified as a summer's day- the water is still and clear, the trees are green and the sky is nearly cloudless. The sails of all the boats have been taking down and the movement in this painting in very still showing again how nature is a calm force. To make his painting as appealing landscapes, Monet eliminated grey tones from his palette. Contrasting to the ideals of the Impressionism movement-- which attempted to capture the most natural form of the subjects-- Monet bended the rules a bit to preserve the beauty of natural in an almost exaggerated form.
Although I looked at this painting nearly every day as a child, I only saw the red boat with the green tree. It's funny how a painting can grow with you and you can learn more about it each time you look at it-- even something as simple as a Boating Landscape by Monet. I see now the reflection and stillness and respect for the water, instead of only a boat waiting to go out to sea.
No comments:
Post a Comment