Biography of Claude Monet

Claude Monet’s (1840 - 1926) Impression: Sunrise (Musée Marmottan, Paris) 48 x 63 cm, oil on canvas painting was created inside his bedroom in the late nineteenth century in 1872. This painting illustrates the view of the harbor at Le Havre in north western-France at the break of dawn.

Monet incorporates a contrast between warm and cool colors as well as complementary colors to construct this composition. The painting is predominated with different hues of blue with soft blends of gray and sudden dabs of red-orange in the sun and sky, which gives off a feeling of warmth as the sun gradually rises over the hills in the background. The two complementary colors appear to intensify each other, as the red-orange sun set against the dawn is the same value as the misty blue sky. The usage of bright colors draws attention to the focal point of the painting, the sun. At first glimpse, viewers will notice various tiny strokes of different colors, which give the painting a very playful feeling as the colors transition within the painting. The gleaming water seems to interchange within the painting due to the red-orange reflections of the sunrise’s light in the middle ground and foreground of the scene. Monet captures the movement and depth of the water ripples across the surface with a range of hues. The technique he uses gives a jovial attitude to the wrinkling water. Overall, Monet’s purpose was to craft a sense of style involved using only pure colors that were layered with swift tiny brushstrokes. The use of complementary colors gave a vibrant feel to this painting; however, the simplicity of the colors used is what makes this painting strong. Another element in this painting is the use of value. The streaks of paint in the water that is...

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...ize the changing effects of light and color in nature. Today, impressionism is seen as the first movement in modern art with a huge influence on the development of art in the 20th century. Monet gave the title to the Impressionist movement by painting impression; sunrise en plein air (painting outdoors) with rapid brushstrokes to catch the atmospheric qualities of light and color and to give subjects their true value. He was not concerned about adequate details, as he desired to capture the subtle effects of changing light in nature by recreating the colors and scene in that moment. Despite what critics say, this impression strongly captures a moment in time. Monet’s use of texture, color and value in this artwork inspired the name of impressionism in the world of art and became the name of historical art movement after a critic observed Monet’s Impression, Sunrise.