TASCHEN
Monet Book
Hailed the “Prince of the Impressionists”, Claude Monet (1840–1926) transformed expectations for the purpose of paint on canvas. Defying the precedent of centuries, Monet did not seek to render only reality, but the act of perception itself. Working en plein air with rapid, impetuous brushstrokes, he interrogated the play of light on the hues, patterns and contours of a scene, and the way these visual impressions fall upon the eye.
In his beloved water lily series, as well as in paintings of poplars, grain stacks and Rouen Cathedral, he returned to the same motif in different seasons, weather conditions and times of day, exploring the constant mutability of our visual environment. Monet offers the essential introduction to an artist whose work transformed the story of art. Every book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series features:
✧ A detailed chronological summary of the artist’s life and work
✧ Approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions
✧ A concise biography