Photo of Claude Monet
I have always loved Claude Monet, but when I went to his home at Giverny, I realized that beauty can come from the most unexpected places. Have you ever seen a photo of Monet?
Born in November of 1840, his photos make him look like November, blustery, stern and cold. A tour of Giverny will introduce you to a rigid parent and a master of his domain. But when you look at the results, you see an almost feminine softness in his devotion to color and beauty.
The light and the countryside drew him to Giverny, where he was the architect of his gardens and at one point employed seven gardeners to plant according to his specifications. This April the gardens were aglow with bands of tulips, in a palette of white, yellow, orange and peach, as well as yellow and white jonquils and narcissus, with clusters of purple lupins along the edges. The arbor down the middle leading to the front door was not as yet covered, but you could just imagine what it would be like in the height of summer. (Hint: Catch the express train to Giverny from Paris.)
Meticulous about interior design, he, not his wife, chose the home décor, which is lovely in bright yellows and cornflower blues with white lace curtains, or the style now called Country French.
He was a caring though demanding family man. When money was tight, he and his family shared lodging with the Hoschedé family. After his wife died, and Ernest Hoschedé left, he took care of the Hoschedés, eventually marrying Alice after her husband’s death. Alice didn’t like the idea of Monet painting other women, so she asked that only her daughters be his models. He agreed.
The one thing he was the most inflexible about was his desire to paint nature. Impressionism was new and didn’t advance him as rapidly as traditional art promoted other young painters, who trained by copying the masters at the Louvre. Dedicated to knowing everything about light and nature, Monet often painted one outdoor scene in several lighting conditions. He painted the Rouen Cathedral more than thirty times during the course of two years. When you visit Musée d’Orsay and see five of the paintings together, you can appreciate Monet’s intense attention to light. (Hint: Go early and start at the top floor.)
Monet’s professional career took off when Americans fell in love with his art. And he fell in love with Japanese art. Giverny is full of his collection. As his sales increased he was able to design his Japanese water garden beyond the railroad track on the edge of his property. He rerouted a small river to create a pond, built his famous green bridge, and planted the banks with flowers and flowering trees. As we strolled the bank this month, the scenery dripped in delicate pink and white blossoms. The flaming colors of fall are said to be the best. I’ll have to go back.
Monet will always be a puzzle to me. How could a man who appears so harsh and so masculine create such gentle beauty? He was complex, and appearance is deceptive.
- Nancy Adair nancyadair2002@yahoo.com
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