Claude Monet (1840–1926)

This looked like a lovely book but there were a lot of quite small pictures, and the descriptions for the paintings were written in a small print that I couldn’t read. I ended up just skimming through this quickly.

This book came with a gift set, including cards, but the real gem is the book itself. Small (great stocking stuffer for art lovers)and easily accessible, there are fifteen plates showing a range of his works centering on his beloved garden. It begins with an autochrome of him at Giverney standing in front of his centrepiece of flowers and vines in front of his house.

His garden, like his art, was carefully plannned and required a precision of colors and placement. Many gardeners try to show more replicate this magnificence, but it really is much easier to just read and admire. Each plate is shown on the right with a one page summarization to the left. I suggest this as an easy and excellent way to introduce someone to Monet, while planting a smile on their face.


Book Season = Spring (when the bulbs are in full glory) show less

As someone who has always been drawn to Monet’s paintings but has absolutely no background in art history, I found this slim book to be both entertaining and informative. The text helps a novice like me notice artistic techniques while putting Monet’s work in historical context. Monet’s personal life is not explored in detail, but the reader gets a general outline of its vicissitudes. It’s a nice quality book but not too heavy.

This book was deep on my #MountTBR pile. I acquired it ages ago. It’s a clever book with six 63-piece puzzles of Monet’s paintings. Each puzzle is accompanied by a description of the painting. I haven’t worked the puzzles as I like to keep this as a nice collector’s piece.