In July I was in Paris for the first time and this was incredibly exciting as I managed to visit the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and Versailles. I was particularly struck in my visit to the d'Orsay of the impressionists views of the sea and how they portrayed this. I have always been interested in Claude Monet (1840-1926) and was lucky to view a major exhibition of his in Wellington (New Zealand) in 2009. This time however, it was mainly his seascapes that drew me in, such as figure 1 which is a view of the Houses of Parliament. I had never considered how close JMW Turner was to the impressionists until this visit. Turner's famous painting 'Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth' (figure 2) helps to show this. Both artists make the water warp into the sky and the surroundings. For Monet the focus is on light with the sun reflecting on the Thames and the same can be said of Turner and the use of light around the steam boat in the storm. Although clearly differing in style the similarities are quite striking.
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| Figure 1. Claude Monet 'Londres, le Parlement. Trouée de soleil dans le brouillard en 1904', Oil-on-Canvas, 81.5 x 92.5cm, Musée d'Orsay |
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| Figure 2. JMW Turner 'Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth' (1842), Oil-on-Canvas, 91.4 x 121.9cm, Tate. |
Towards the end of Turner's career his work did become more detached from his earlier more traditional artwork. The use of colour and light became the centrepiece of each painting. There is a new exhibition at the Tate called 'Late Turner: Painting set free' and this explores Turner's change of style in depth. I haven't had a chance to go to it yet but cannot wait for the opportunity.
To finish this blog I will leave a final seascape of Monet's that caught my attention at the d'Orsay called 'Les barques. Régates à Argenteuil' (figure 3). The light is very captivating and you can imagine yourself on one of the sailing boats. Although the water is not as realistic as other maritime artists I have previously looked at (such as Stanfield, Pocock and Serres) it still is a scene you can imagine being part of. I will explore this link again in the future as the link is clearly the use of light on the water which the great maritime artists have always used. I would be interested to hear other views on this area and whether you agree with my idea of Turner being a link to Monet.
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| Figure 3. Claude Monet 'Les barques. Régates à Argenteuil' (1874), Oil-on-Canvas, 60.5 x 100.5cm, Musée d'Orsay. |
The link between Turner and Monet is undeniable. Critics again and again describe Turner as precursor to impressionism, and rightly so! After all, who do you think Monet was studying when he lived in London in the early 1870s? I appreciate your comparisons of and commentary on Monet's and Turner's works here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! My knowledge of Monet needs to grow! I read after that he would go to the National Gallery quite often to see Turner paintings when he was in London. It is very interesting as it makes sense why Monet had such a focus on the use of light. I shall do a bit more research around the area of impressionism as Turner and another maritime artist called James Webb both seem like precursors to a new version of maritime art worthy of looking at in more depth!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful blog indeed to read (and see!) as always. I enjoyed very much the links you have brought about in two of my favourite artists. Turner's transition in his later works is curious one. I appreciate the emotion in this work of his and its unique approach. However, the lighter and romantic style of Monet here draws me in greatly. Wonderful indeed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! I have always liked Monet but never looked at his maritime art in depth. He really was a genius and I will return to his paintings again in the future. Keep checking back!
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