Monet and Sunset

This paper analyzes the style of impressionism and oceanic/seaside themes in Claude Monet's painting "Marine View with a Sunset".

1,100 words () | 6 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This study analyzes the style of impressionism and oceanic themes that arise in the piece, "Marine View with a Sunset" by Claude Monet. The writer notes that with Monet's background as a son of a marine supply tradesman, he implies a deep love for the oceanic seaside and its various lighting and movements. By understanding this infatuation with the way that light, movement, and his brush strokes created this painting, one can understand the impressionistic values he implies in his perception of the sea. In essence, this study examines the impressionistic techniques used to create this ocean scene in relation to Monet's understanding of marine life from his own familial background and in the European art culture of the late 19th century.

From the Paper:

"In this manner, Monet used short brush strokes that appeared unfinished, but were essentially a deliberate and nuanced way of changing how lighting, color, and images were abstractly located and applied in the composition.
"The location of the sailboats in the painting reveal how Monet sought to change the focal point often used by painters in realist schools from Great Britain. By placing the boats lower than the horizon line, they were actually becoming non-objects that took the focus off of them as normative objects that centralized the composition. This type of painting took precedence in many of his painting the depict sunsets and sunrises where the light was often bleak, yet filled with obscure colorations that took away the focal points of the sailboats as essential aspects of "Marine View with a Sunset"."

Sample of Sources Used:

"Claude Monet: A Biography." 2006. Respree.com. 23 August, 2007. <http://www.respree.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/biography/claude-monet.html?E+scstore>
House, John. Monet: Nature into Art. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988.
Monet, Claude. "Marine View with a Sunset." 2006. Ihelmerich.com. 23 August, 2007. <http://www.lhelmerich.com/larry/connAug03/phillyArt/MIMG_6433.html>
Russell, Vivian. Monet's Landscapes. New York: Frances Lincoln, 2006.
Sproccati, Sandro. Monet. New York: Book Sales, 2000.