Monet's Years at Giverny: Beyond Impressionism

This is a very nice, well priced book. I was at Giverny and found the book a good review, quite concise. Not as beutiful as the one I could have purchased at the garden, but I missed that one!

Claude Monet lived in rural Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926. Many of the paintings that we most closely identify with his oeuvre were done on his property or in the neighborhood. Following his death, the property deteriorated until its restoration was completed in the 1970s with the help of Lila Acheson Wallace, of Reader's Digest fame. This book was created to in part to honor that restoration and the show that commemorated it. The show marked the beginning of a resurgence of interest in Monet that continues to grow. My only reservation about recommending this book is that it would have benefited from larger sized pages so that the reproductions could have been larger.Giverny is located to the north of Paris, and is connected to Paris by the rail line from Gare St. Lazare (which Monet painted several times). The view of nature we get there is a reflection of Monet's very French focus on creating gardens, a lily pond, and walkways that bring natural beauty into our controlled grasp. I have had the pleasure of visiting Monet's home at Giverny several times since it was restored and highly recommend that you make this journey as well when you are in Paris. Your concept of Monet's work will be changed by seeing his working conditions. The grounds are primarily an extension of his studio, for making observations of nature easier. First time visitors will be shocked to realize that the lily pond was dug and expanded at great effort and expense by Monet. Without his persistence, we would be missing many of our favorite Monet paintings. Throughout the time that Monet lived in Giverny, his eyesight deteriorated . . . mostly due to cataracts. As an artist friend of mine points out, that eye affliction greatly improved his painting by making it freer and less detailed. He also pioneered many techniques of al fresco paining, such as creating an artist's studio in a boat for his famous river scenes. This enabled him to capture many unusual perspectives from the water to the river bank. Similarly, one purpose of the Japanese bridge over his lily pond was to give him a similar point of perspective.The book contains a map of Giverny and Monet's property (purchased in 1890 after he originally rented it), and 81 works that he created in the area. Missing from these reproductions are the famous water lily paintings that he gave to the French nation which are now housed in the basement of the Orangerie. Be sure you see them when you next visit Paris. Many people go to the Orangerie and never make it to the basement. These are among the greatest jewels of Impressionism.You will be pleased to see the 25 works from the Musee Marmottan in Paris. These masterworks are also often missed by those who visit Paris because they do not know about this small gem of a museum and its superb Monet collection. The reproductions are organized around themes: (1) river scenes (from the boat) (2) haystacks [sic] (3) poplars (4) river and fields (5

Whether you have appreciated Monet's works for years or you are just discovering him for the first time like me, this book is a beautiful, informative collection of his best.Beyond the absolutely vivid and beautiful quality of the paintings displayed in Monet's Years at Giverny, I greatly appreciate the style of language used throughout the book. Unlike many major art books which often seem to forget about the layman reader, this book reads more like a beautiful story of his life providing great insight into his works.In college, I was fortunate enough to see a collection of his Water Lilies in Paris. Although at the time I was amazed to see them, through Monet's Years at Giverny I came to fully appreciate them---Not only the paintings, but the man himself.Excellent addition to any collection!

Unlike most art books, this small volume has been in print continuously since 1978 & when you read it, it isn't hard to see why: superb reproductions and an extremely elegant design (plus its small size - very unusual in art publishing) offer the reader a wonderful experience wandering in Monet's vision of a carefully constructed alternate reality. In Monet's Giverny, natural forms respond instantly to light. The images produce a peculiar sense of floating in the viewer - many of the pictures lack a horizon line or any indication of where the viewer is in relation to the picture. As a result, we seem to hover in flight, poised above a constantly shifting panorama of woods, water, fields, and lilies. Interestingly, no human figures are visible in these works (Monet was never really a figure painter) producing a peculiar sensation of isolation and contemplation in the spectator - we wander through this magical land alone, or with whatever companion we desire. A superlative achievement which has found few imitators in the world of art publishing.

This book is fantastic! It captures the essence of Monet's painting better than any other book I've seen. The color printing is accurate. The plates are large and plentiful. There are complete series like the Japanese Bridge and Lily Pads as well as select paintings that are rarely found in other Monet books. And the inclusion of some unfinished late canvases shows how far Monet went into the future of Western art. You won't find many better than this!