Yesterday I decided to take a trip to the National Gallery and visit some of my famous painter friends and their works. I was short on time so I decided to visit four of the galleries: Manet, Monet and the Impressionists, Seurat and Pissarro, Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh and Degas and art around 1900.
Each of these galleries contain some of my favorite works but the main love of my life has always been Claude Monet. I was introduced to Monet in an Art History I class in university and have been a fervent admirer of his Irises, Japanese bridges, Houses of Parliament, Waterlilies and Haystacks. The colors used in his paintings set the tone and mood in such an extrordinary way. I am quite a fan of the paintings of his garden in Giverny, those are by far my favorites. It is such a talent and gift that Monet possessed to capture the essence of a living garden on canvas. The garden invites the viewer with its sumptuous shades of purples, greens and reds. You feel like you are walking in the garden and have come across the beautiful area surrounded by flowers. The National Gallery does not own the Garden at Giverny painting, but they do own The Water-Lily Pond painting which is calming and serene to the eye. There are countless books on this great painter, but I recommend Monet in the 20th Century by Paul Tucker Hayes and for children, I simply adore Linnea in Monet's Garden by Cristina Bjork. My little cousins love these books.
Georges Seurat's Bathers at Asnières is an impressive example of pointillism. The most striking figure of all is the boy halloing. My eye catches the use of little dots of blue and orange with which Seurat has modelled his cap. The orange brings a vibrancy to the painting with its hues of blues, greens, whites and blacks.
Degas is my favorite painter when it comes to dancers in particular ballerinas. In my curiosity to learn more about Edgar Degas, I purchased the book Degas: Beyond Impressionism (National Gallery London Publications) by Richard Kendall. It is a fascinating read.
Van Gogh has always held a special place in my heart, I am extremely taken by his work which is both haunting and fascinating. His Sunflowers and Starry Night are my favorites, but I have recently been captivated by Vincent's Chair with Pipe. This yellow, lonely chair sits alone on the canvas and it evokes such sadness and introspection. The pipe is on the chair as if his owner has left it there as a reminder of the person who once lived there. I have always been drawn to the artistic types who have had a "sad" life for some unknown reason and Vincent is certainly one of those. For more information on Van Gogh you can visit http://www.vangoghgallery.com/. If you are in London, head down to the National Gallery and see his paintings for yourself, they are extraordinary.
Vist the National Gallery online at http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
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