Artist/Picture Study - Claude Monet

This month Sophia and Olivia learned about Claude Monet as part of their on-going artist study. Two of the six pictures that they studied were at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and four of the pictures were in a children's book that we all enjoy reading.

This is the first time that we have been able to see "in real life" paintings that an artist that we're studying has done. It was an exciting and special opportunity that we are grateful to have had.

As with other paintings, Sophia and Olivia looked at the images quietly for a period of time. Then they faced away from the painting or closed the book they were looking at, and shared some of the things they recalled about the picture. Their responses are noted below.

Grainstack, Sun in the Mist

Sophia remembered:
=> It looked like it was a hut or house in the middle of nowhere.
=> There were a lot of colors used.
=> The sun was setting.
=> It looks quiet and there are no animals around.
=> The colors aren't vivid. They blend into one another.
=> There were lots of pinks, purples, blues, and greens.
=> It looks dreamy - not realistic.
=> It is dusk because the sky is pink.

Olivia remembered:
=> There's a peek of the sun.
=> There's a mountain to the left.
=> It looks like the roof of a house.
=> The artist wrote his name in the corner in little letters.
=> All the colors are light - pink, red, light blue, and a hint of dark purple.
=> It's not realistic and there isn't much detail.
=> There's a lot of texture in the paining.

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The Seashore at Sainte-Adresse

Sophia remembered:
=> It looks like the sea or ocean.
=> There is a rowboat with three sailors or men in it; and two other sailboats.
=> The water is choppy and dark.
=> The sky above looks dark - like it might rain. There are clouds.
=> He used light brown, purple, pink, and blue in the painting.
=> There's a little hill with lots of green weeds and grass.
=> The picture isn't bright.
=> There's a a part of a fence or wall in the water.
=> It looks like it is windy because it is blowing.
=> It looks like dusk.
=> The artist used short paint strokes.
=> This picture is a lot more clear than the other one.

Olivia remembered:
=> There are some ships.
=> The sky is kind of dark - like there is going to be a storm.
=> In the distance, there is a lighthouse.
=> On the left-hand side on the land there are lots of rocks.
=> The dock is kind of old and doesn't look that sturdy any more.
=> The artist used green, brown, white, gray, dark purple, and pink.
=> The water is pale and dark blue.
=> There are birds in the sky.
=> The seashore and ocean aren't that far from the land.
=> The boars don't look that sturdy.

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The other pictures that the girls studied were from a book. Although seeing a printed image isn't the same thing as seeing a painting in real life, having seen two of Monet's paintings gave us all a greater appreciation of what we were seeing in the book.

Pointe de la He've at Low Tide

Sophia remembered:
=> It looks like a it is about to rain.
=> There's a big formation of rocks or a sailboat in the middle of the ocean.
=> There's a wagon being pulled by a horse and a man is sitting on a seat.
=> Behind the two horses there's an older man with a cane walking behind them.
=> The tide is out and it is pretty dark.
=> There were clouds with an open space in the middle.
=> The rocks look like they are shale.
=> It looks like the people are hurrying towards home.
=> The sea looks dark and choppy.
=> It looks like you don't want to be sailing on the ocean.

Olivia remembered:
=> There's a wagon that's half in the water.
=> There's a ship way out - it's very big - in the distance.
=> There are two very long docks - like at Papa and Nana's house.
=> There are two or three horses and they are riding away because they each have a person on them.
=> There are some boats dragged up and sitting at the docks.
=> There's a cloud - which I saw - that is dark and looks like some sort of animal.
=> There was a cliff which looks like a person is on top of it. IT's be like someone ruling the world and overlooking their kingdom.
=> The rocks look like shale and sandstone.
=> The water - since the tide was out - showed a lot of jagged rocks. You could hurt your feet if you walked on them.

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Women in the Garden at Ville d'Auray

Sophia remembered:
=> The picture is very pretty, and I like it.
=> It looks like the afternoon and there are wispy clouds.
=> You can't tell the three women are one person. (Note: Monet used one woman as the model for the women he painted in the picture.)
=> The dresses the women are wearing are very poofy and I wouldn't want to run in them.
=> The one woman isn't running - she's walking fast. You can't run in one of those dresses.
=> There's one lady sitting on the ground and her dress has purplish lace.
=> The man has darker color and it looks like he's wearing a skirt.
=> The trees are covering a lot of the sky so it looks like they are in the shade.

Olivia remembered:
=> There's a man giving a woman flowers. I like that part.
=> You can see Claude's name in the corner of the picture.
=>There's a woman sitting looking at flowers on the ground.
=> There's a woman running towards something.
=> The man has a lot of white buttons on his shirt and pants. He is dressed all in brown.
=> The colors mostly were all green. There was more green than bright colors.
=> The ground or pathway is made from rocks.
=> The tree had a brown trunk and the branches were spread out.
=> The women have flowers in their hands and an umbrella.

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La Grenouillere

Sophia remembered:
=> There are three people swimming.
=> There are a bunch of people in a rowboat laughing and having a good time.
=> The trees are on one side of the river and on the other side there are really tall trees.
=> The water where the people are talking is dark, mysterious, and algae-covered.
=> There's another boat; and it has a covering and there are windows.
=> Monet didn't focus on clothes or people - he focused on the landscape and water.
=> There aren't any clouds in the sky - it's just a pretty blue. It looks later in the day.
=> The dock is on the side of the rowboat and it goes kind of far out.

Olivia remembered:
=> There are two people swimming.
=>The man who is petting a dog has a blue shirt.
=> There are three boats adrift.
=> The trees are pretty, but there are white blobs on them.
=> The tree on the small island is kind of straight and the higher up part is covered with leaves.
=> There's a person who is on the boat and she has a pretty hat with feathers.
=> There are a few chairs and people are sitting in them.
=> The trees are like a pale-greenish color.
=> The water reflects trees and people, but the lake looks like it has a lots of small waves.

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Villas a Bordighera

Sophia remembered:
=> It's very pretty. There are a lot of greens and yellows.
=> It's not as clear as some of the other pictures.
=> There are lots of plants and greenery.
=> One building has a balcony to stand out.
=> There aren't people. The people who you can see are just lumps of color.
=> It's clear that Claude was trying to look at scenery, greenery, and buildings rather than at people.
=> It's somewhere I'd want to live.
=> There are pinks, some blue, orange, and reddish colors.
=> The sky isn't very clear. You can't see that there are clouds.
=> From the angle that he's painting, it looks like you're standing in the middle of bushes and trees.
=> The colors aren't ones you'd see around here.

Olivia remembered:
=> There's a tree which is all spiky.
=> There are mountains in the background that look rocky and dangerous.
=> The place is summer-like and hot. I wouldn't like to live there.
=> There aren't any people in the picture.
=> The houses have lots of balconies.
=> The sky is very blue, but it's not the best blue I've ever seen.
=> There were lots of shrubs that had really pointy leaves.
=> The colors are very pale, mostly yellows and greens.
=> There might have been a few people in the picture.
=> The place had a pretty garden.

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