Product Description
This large, lavish journey through the art of the 19th-century French landscape offers a host of masterful works, among them Corot's Forest of Fontainbleau, Millet's End of the Hamlet of Gruchy, Renoir's Rocky Crags at L'Estaque, and Monet's Rue de la Bavolle, Honfleur. As is often the case, however, some of the most wonderful things to see are also the least expected: rare and unusual monotypes by Degas, three states of a softground etching by Pissarro, and numerous works by some of their lesser-known but equally important contemporaries. Unlike previous books on the topic, Impressions of Light presents a unique and stunningly complete group of work that introduces a new level of complexity into the discussion of French landscapes. Rather than considering the landscape as a steady, linear development and the product of a single medium, it takes into account the many crosscurrents and intersecting developments in French art, from the Barbizon school through the post-Impressionist period. In addition, it studies the landscape in a variety of media--painting, prints, and photography--exploring both the individual artists' perceptions and the ways in which they influenced each other. With over 80 paintings and 70 works on paper from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston's collections, and published to accompany a major exhibition, Impressions of Light encompasses more than 100 years and 56 artists working in a dozen different media. It holds the broadest possible view, yet never loses sight of the extraordinary intricacy that makes the landscape so enduringly appealing. Artists Include:Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Huet, Odilon Redon, Jean-Francois Millet, Charles-Francois Daubigny, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, and Paul Gaugin among others.

Essays by Fronia E. Wissman, Karen E. Haas, Anne Havinga, Sue Welsh Reed and Barbara Stern Shapiro.
Introduction by George T.M. Shackelford.

Clothbound, 320 pages, 180 color and 25 b&w ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Come Visit Beautiful French Landscapes
The book Impressions of Light by George Shackleford et al is a companion book to an art exhibit of works from Boston's Museum of Fine Art. The paintings are landscapes created by France's greatest nineteenth century painters and photographers. Most of the painters are Impressionists but others schools are represented as well. The book also contains sketches which were part of the exhibit. The sketches, as well as the written commentary which accompanies many of them, allows the reader to better understand the creative process of the painters. The factual information in the book is very extensive and helps the readers see more in the works than normally meets the eye. Perhaps what is most interesting about this book and the collection of paintings and photographs included it is the plethora of lesser known works by these great artists. Readers, especially those who have been fortunate to view the exhibit, will be transported to the settings of these great works and gain a deeper appreciation of these great artists and photographers.

A spectaculrly beautifully, illustrated art history
Impressions Of Light: The French Landscape From Corot To Monet is a lavishly, richly, spectaculrly beautifully, illustrated art history showcasing one hundred years of French art and 56 French artists. Included area wealth of rare and unusual monotypes by Degas, three states of a softground etching by Pissarro, and numerous illustrative works by lesser-known by equally significant contemporaries. Of particular interest is the attention paid to intersecting developments in French art from the Barbizon school through post-Impressionism. Enhanced with more than 80 paintings and 70 works on paper drawn from the MFA collections, showcasing the French landscape through painting, prints, and photography, Impressions Of Light deftly explores individual artists' perceptions as well as the manifold ways that influenced each other. Impressions Of Light will prove to be a welcome and much appreciated contribution to Art History collections in general, and 19th Century French landscape art and photography in particular. ... Read more

Product Description
Presented alongside Monet's Impressionist paintings,Russell's superb photographs capture the spirit of theirlocations--along the River Creuse, around the coasts of France, nearhis home at Giverny, and on his travels to Holland, Norway, Venice,and London.They convey the visual drama of Monet's motifs--theirform, and the play and quality of the light that inspired him to paintthem.Quoting extensively from Monet's letters, Russell brings thepainter to life as never before.In a powerful combination of art,photographs, text, and works, the book gives a fascinagting insightinto this most celebrated and beloved painter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

every monet lover should own this book
fantastic background information on both Monet's life from his own letters as well as contemporary photographs of the landscapes that Monet painted so that one can see what he saw.
If you have ever wanted to travel to the cliffs and beaches of Normandy but cannot go there it is a thrilling visit though the pages of this book.
I am so glad I got it
BTW Monet was quite passionate in his letters, really gives one a better sense of the person as well as learning more about the painter in his own words.

A Beautiful and Very Informative Adjunct to theMonet Library
Monet's evocative landscapes with their lush and subtle colors, thrilling use of light from various times of the day and the seasons, and varied locations of vantage have rarely been so beautifully presented as in this small but elegant book by Vivian Russell.

Russell has visited many of the sites Monet painted and took photographs not only of the particular subject of his paintings, but also of the surrounding countryside, a fact that adds flavor of place to what must have inspired Monet. Not only does she include the coasts of France and Giverny, Monet's home and famous gardens, but she also traveled to Venice (some of Monet's most ethereal works are from this special haven), Norway, the flower fields of Holland, and the majesty of London.

The photographs are superb and offer interesting information on what Monet decided to edit or to enrich with the impressionist's eye.Russell is a fine writer and her comments and sensitivity to include much information from Monet's letters makes this book not only a perfect coffee table tome, but also a fine adjunct to art students and collectors alike.Highly Recommended!Grady Harp, August 05 ... Read more

Product Description
Claude Monet (1840-1926) spent most of his career painting his own spontaneous impression of nature. He gave the title of Impressionism to the school of art he created together with Manet, Renoir, Pissaro, Caillebotte and Sisley. Today, Claude Monet belongs to the classic painters of all times: not only was he the most important of the impressionists, he is undoubtedly one of the greatest of his profession. Paul Cézanne paid him the most telling compliment: 'Monet is an eye, the most wonderful eye since there have been artists.' The man Monet, however, has remained hidden behind the work of the artist, despite the fact that the man left numerous autobiographical notes about himself, which together with other contemporary sources, paint the picture of a strong yet contradictory character. Monet united in himself many admirable but also less pleasant features: He could be at the same time depressed and euphoric, stingy and extravagant,opportunistic and unyielding, obstinate and compromising, selfish and utterly selfless. After the young artist had ambitiously planned his career, fame - when it eventually came - did not mean that much to him. The well-documented history of Impressionism will not be re-drawn here. It is the man and the artist Monet who will be critically portrayed and who will become more tangible and real to the reader. This new biography sheds light on the man and places him in context as a sensitive artist of his time. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

not really
Has good information in book but, as the book says ..." Monet's paintings do not reveal his technical procedures"... I bought book used and it was a good purchase.

useful book-where is the rest of the series? paint like van gogh, etc
This book may not be perfect but is is very useful in explaining how Monet may have painted. As the author states, he (or anyone else) doesn't know exactly because Xrays have not discovered underpainting for clues. Mr. Heard does best when he sticks to academics and worst in the visual step by step "copy" paintings which as another reviewer stated look like a 5 year old painted them. No they are not that bad but could have benefitted from either saying that 1) the final example will need many more days (or years) of painting to arrive at an end result or 2) having an expert copyist complete them (and stating #1).

You cannot really expect this book to teach you how to paint like Monet but it does give valuable information on technique, color palette and how to begin an impressionist style painting (just short on the finishing of said painting).

There are some glitches, such as on p.28 we are told that Impressionists did not like to paint on white canvases and instructed to start the copy of "The Beach at Trouville" by covering the white canvas with a blend of Tit. White, Cad. Yellow and Iv. Black to make a warm gray. Then in the next step it is clear that the author did not do this because his next steps are executed on a white canvas.

I am not an art historian but I thought the Impressionists DID use a white canvas rather than a toned one to achieve their clear colors, unmuddied by the brown tones prevalent in the preceding generation. It is an important point that this book has now made confusing.

I would definitely buy this book again and would love to see more painters done in this series. There are no others that I have found. We need Van Gogh, Renoir, etc.

A useful resource book for the study or teaching of the techniques of one of the Impressionists
A good and useful book for both teacher and student.
The background information was well presented and readable, a change from so many heavy academic tomes, a tick here!
Some good analytical and practical exercises. I found that James Heard's own style too strongly evident in the photographic progression of the sample exercises, he is more than a trifle heavy handed and contemporary,to me this is a bit of a problem when demonstrating a style and period that was innately subtle and elegant.
I was also disappointed in the colour replication of the original works when compared to gallery sourced reproductions.

Mongo training tool
Now what do I know? I'm not going to tell you "that's not how Monet did it". I can't fault anything of the authors because we really don't know how Monet painted his masterpieces, nor that of other artists. But, what we can do is explore and dabble and use our own creativity. I took this book at face value and used it as personal training in Impressionist Art. Like when fly fishing, it doesn't matter how ugly the fly is, as long as it catches fish. The same is true with art. You can worry about art schools, materials, style; or you can paint! Of the 10 Monet paintings I'm working toward finishing (I'm adding my own Impression: Sunrise), I have had rave reviews from friends and family. That is a great complement to a novice painter. I even had offers to purchase my art. Gosh, I've never thought of that. This is a workbook that takes you through a good number of Monet's paintings that he has done through his long life. It also tells you the stories behind his stages of life and reasons for the paintings. When you paint, you can think of those stories, and tell others when you explain the work. And, for those of us novices, it gives you a great idea of some difficult concepts, so that you can apply it to your own art. Buy this book, and try it for yourself. You'll be happy.

Monet and other stuff.
This book offers a nice review of Monet's painting methods, though it suffers along with other art books with chapters explaining what is an easel, what is a paintbrush, etc. I suppose if one had never seen any art materials before it would be just the thing, but for most people this is just unnecessary filler. The demonstrations might be great in real life, but the end result, as portrayed in the book anyway, give the impression (no pun intended) of a poorly painted reproduction. If the finished works were of higherquality it might inspire more people to try their hand at a Monet copy; right now it seems to say "Paint this picture this way and you will end up with a picture apparently done by a five-year old". Despite all this, though,here are interesting insights into tone and color as well as technique, so that it makes nice reading for a rainy afternnoon, but I'm not sure I would buy it again.
B.O. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

just a postcard
I ordered several of these booklets based on the reviews of others. If you're looking for something small to frame, this is not it. The quality of the picture is poor (color and clarity). the selected pieces are also a disappointment. three of them are of women (not my favorite). the other three are landscapes. If you're looking for an unusal postcard, this is ok. you get what you pay for. they may be ok for a school bulletin board but again the quality is so poor that I would hesitate to share with students.

You should collect them all.
One of a series from Dover that includes Cassatt, Dali, Degas, Gauguin, Homer, Kahlo...you get the idea. Ridiculously inexpensive, you should collect them all. Once you have them, you'll resist ripping them out of thecute little booklet & mailing them. Maybe, like me, you'll keep them ina drawer by your computer as handy fine art stress relievers.

BobRixon ... Read more

Product Description
Continuously in print for more than 20 years, Abrams' Masters of Art series has always been known for its exceptional quality and value. Now these classic volumes devoted to the lives and works of the world's great painters have been newly redesigned and released in paperback for the first time. The comprehensive texts, written by distinguished art historians, provide incisive and informative portraits of the artists and perceptive commentaries on their works and achievements. Each book features 40 full-page, full-color plates accompanied by commentary on the facing page. Numerous black-and-white illustrations supplement the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good coffee table book
Great book with alot of great art and facts. Everyone who comes to our house picks it up and flips through. ... Read more

Product Description
Here, assembled for the first time in its entirety, is the audaciously colorful group of works which Claude Monet executed on the Italian and French Rivieras in 1884 and 1888, and in Venice in 1908. These paintings address the artist's ability to stretch his own pictorial boundaries. 120 color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Monet Treasurehouse - Gorgeous Color Plates!
Claude Monet's fascination with the Mediterranean began in December 1883, when Pierre-Auguste Renoir invited him on a trip to the Riviera. En route to the sea they visited Paul Cézanne in L'Estaque. By the time they reached Monaco, their first Mediterranean stop, Monet was completely enchanted by the warm southern climate, its lush, exotic vegetation, and the extraordinary quality of light. He was to return again and again to the southern coasts of France and Italy to paint some of his most superb work.

"Monet And The Mediterranean" unites over 100 paintings created during the course of three major trips Monet made to the Mediterranean from 1883 to 1908. The sheer beauty of the nature these works depict is breathtaking, as are the luminescent colors of his palette and dazzling light effects. The artist's use of light is frequently dramatic, as he often painted scenes at sunrise, midday and sunset.

Joachim Pisarro has brilliantly communicated, through this text, his deep love for painting and art history. He has combined and provided here a biography, history, and critical interpretation that allowed me to view some of my favorite paintings as if for the first time. This volume features over 100 color plates, with introductory commentaries for each series or group of paintings. The artist's love of the region and its light is evident in his work - from olive and citrus trees in the Italian fishing village of Bordighera to the vast seas and skies of Cap Martin and Cap d'Antibes to the shadowy canals and golden Ducal Palace of Venice. The Mediterranean was, perhaps, Monet's greatest muse, providing him with a climate, light and color that possessed him with what curator Joachim Pissarro calls an "ineluctable need to paint."

A real treasure of a book! Makes a wonderful gift!
JANA

SPELLBINDING VISUAL EXCITEMENT
The artist's rainbow palette and his self-imposed task of "painting light" are vividly presented in Monet and the Mediterranean by Joachim Pisarro.Focusing on Monet's work during his three stays on the southern coasts of France and Italy, this exhibition catalogue showcases paintings executed under the most extreme effects of light.

Grandson of Camille Pisarro and a noted art historian, Joachim Pisarro writes, "Monet's decision to paint by the Mediterranean in 1884 was bound to an inner strategy: his art was a constant search for shatteringly new pictorial motifs."

We are not disappointed, the lushly overgrown vegetation and brilliant sun in his landscapes provides spellbinding visualexcitement.

"What is astonishing about Monet's work in the south is the degree of elasticity, of pictorial metamorphosis, and of technical virtuosity it required from the artist." Mr. Pisarro said."A century after these paintings were produced, their impact remains undiminished."

An insightful biography and history, Monet and the Mediterranean holds 120 striking color plates. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the youngest members in the school of French Impressionism, Claude Monet continued to pursue the Impressionistic style after other Impressionist artists had dispersed as a group. The most famous of Monet's works were inspired by his large gardens at his home in rural Giverny. A Barron's Great Artist Series title. Full-color illus.Amazon.com Review
David Spence packs a good deal of fascinating information intothis small book on Claude Monet; it is ideal for teenagers interestedin art history.The sections cover such diverse topics as Monet'slife with his family and friends; his education under the seascapepainter Eugene Boudin; the confusion over the names of Monet andEduard Manet; the horrified reactions of critics to Monet's paintingImpression: Sunrise, which gave the impressionists their name;and even the development of "portable" paint in tubes, whichenabled artists to work more easily in the open air. Although smallerthan the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness books, Monet andImpressionism, along with the other titles in Barron's GreatArtists series, is designed with the same inclusiveness. There arefive or more images on any two-page spread. One telling but smallphoto of a Monet painting shows beach sand stuck in the impasto wherethe wind blew it; others show Paris in the 1880s, or Monet in hisstudio with the enormous canvasses depicting water lilies. There arereproductions, albeit quite small, of Monet's lush, sun-dappledlandscapes, picnics, and portraits.Spence's text is entertaining butmay be too frank for some tastes: "It may have been during thistime, when Monet and Hoschede's wife Alice spent many an eveningtogether, that they became lovers..." But the portrait he givesof this widely loved painter is vivid, and remarkably complete for abook of this size--just 32 pages. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

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A lighthearted, intelligent, appealing introduction to one of the world's greatest artists -- in the style of Mike Venezia's award-winning children's books.Claude Monet and his French Impressionist circle are brought to life in this entertaining animated video.Praised by Booklist, School Library Journal and Video Librarian -- loved by teachers, librarians, parents and kids! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Monet is entertaining and informative
I bought this movie for my 5 year old son. He really enjoys the humor and is learning about famous art and artists at the same time. ... Read more

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Traces the life of the Impressionist painter and analyzes some of his paintings. ... Read more

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Mike Venezia
All of Mike Venezia's books are excellent. They're very informative and entertaining. They're just the kind of books you would want to buy for your kids, grandkids and anyone you would want to introduce to artists, inventors , scientists,
and presidents. Every page is chock full of interesting tidbits about their subjects. ... Read more

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This text explores the life of Claude Monet (1840-1926), an artist of the Impressionist group of painters. ... Read more

Product Description
This is nonfiction commentary. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: List of Works by Claude Monet. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: This is a partial list of works by Claude Monet (French pronunciation: ), (14 November 1840 5 December 1926) who was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. The term Impressionism is derived from the title of his painting Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant). What distinguished Monet from the other Impressionist painters was his innovative idea of creating Series paintings devoted to paintings of a single theme or subject. With the repetitious study of the subject at different times of day Monet's paintings show the effects of sunlight, time and weather through color and contrast. Monet's 'Series paintings' are particularly notable and are among his best known works. The Haystacks and Water Lilies are the most famous however his other series paintings include: Rouen Cathedrals, Houses of Parliament, Poplar Trees among others. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=19485405 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Monet A Retrospective
This book came water damaged from the supplier. It is ok but not to the level that I expected.It did not have several of the paintings that I was looking for such as the irises which is world famous. Also it did not have the painting showing the red boats in the harbour, another famous painting.I did order another book on Monet's gardens which was considerably better.

Good in parts
The book opens with a chronology of about 15 pages and a short introduction. The remainder of the text comprises a vast array of contemporary reports and commentaries on Monet from news media and other sources by a numerous writers. These do make fascinating reading; the wide range of writers includes among others critics, philosophers and statesmen, and among these are some notable names such as Proust, Maupassant and Zola; the comments range from ridicule to praise. They run according the publishers, chronologically from 1865, but that is a very loose description for the sequence is far from consecutive. Usefully reference to colour plates is provided in the margin alongside the relevant text. The book includes an index.

It is illustrated throughout with 132 colour plates and 119 monochromes. The colour reproduction generally is acceptable, but there are a number of images that are noticeably dark with little detail evident in the darkest areas. The monochrome images are not so good; typical of poor quality offset-litho the images are too dark with large areas of solid black entirely lacking detail. The colour plates each occupy a page, although due to the book format some paintings may occupy no more than half the page. This problem has been overcome with a few of the very wide Water Lily paintings by employing fold out pages. A very wide range of Monet's work is covered.

Overall production does not impress, the presentation in some sections is crude, and it is badly let down by the quality of the monochrome images. It is a big and heavy book, and the large format does allow for many of Monet's paintings to be reproduced to a reasonable size; it is worth having for the colour reproductions and the interesting text.

13.25" x 9.75" (33.6 cm x 24.7 cm)Published 1985 ISBN 0883633019 Hardback

A True Value With Over 100 Full-Color Plates
Enjoy Monet's greatest works with over 100 full-color plates. In addition to the vivid plates the text is overflowing with wonderful descriptions of his life and work.

A Must Own if You Love Monet
This is a large, heavy and durable book that brings you a great portrayal of Claude Monet, with wonderful pictures both in color and black and white, along with interesting and intimate commentary about his life during the time he created his paintings. One of the full color pictures is of "Green Reflections" where the picture is over 27 feet (847 cm) long.

The back of the book has an in depth index of paintings, colleagues, associations, museums, and the names of Monet's paintings.

Highly Recommended for impressionist art lovers. Barbara Rose, author of, `Individual Power' and `If God Was Like Man'

It's Grrrreat!!
I saw this book in my local bookstore and immediatly snatched it up! It got a TON of paintings done by Monet, most of them in color. Though theactual biography about him is slim, the articles by past painters,colleagues, and friends are wonderful. Be warned: It's a heafty book, butundoubtedly delightful!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Splashed with Color
This little book is hard to find, but well worth the trouble. The color plates are gorgeous. After looking at about a dozen books on Monet, I figured this to be the most interesting. ... Read more

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Product Description
Big art for little hands, these enchanting activity books allow young artists to explore the world’s masterpieces on their own terms and with plenty of space to color outside the lines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

do not buy this book
It is a few black outlines that you could do with tracing paper.A major disappointment. --awful ... Read more