Monday History

Claude Monet

Rouen Cathedral at Sunset, 1893

This is one of many paintings (over 30) that Claude Monet, Impressionism Master, created of the Rouen Cathedral in Paris between 1892 - 1895. 

When Monet painted the Rouen Cathedral series, he had long since been impressed with the way light imparts to a subject a distinctly different character at different times of the day and the year, and as atmospheric conditions change. For Monet, the effects of light on a subject became as important as the subject itself. His Series Paintings, in which he painted many views of the same subject under different lighting conditions, are an attempt to illustrate the importance of light in our perception of a subject at a given time and place. Robert Pelfrey, in Art and Mass Media (Kendall/Hunt, 1996), says: By focusing on the same subject through a whole series of paintings, Monet was able to concentrate on recording visual sensations themselves. The subjects did not change, but the visual sensations – due to changing conditions of light – changed constantly. (166) 

So when you think you've exhausted subject matter, consider working from the exact same point of view over a period of years. What was Monet's driving force? Consider this and include at least 3 more examples from the series through web investigation.

Start Here - it's an awesome flash site that shows the progression of the works through the position of the sun - then search the web for your favorite points of view!
Happy Monday and welcome back!
-Denner