Claude Monet, “Still Life with Flowers and Fruit,” 1869, oil on canvas, 39 1/2 x 32 in. © J. Paul Getty Museum 2017

San Francisco’s Legion of Honor will be the first U.S. institution to host a comprehensive exhibition delving into the formative years of Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926). Details here!

An exhibition slated to open on Saturday, February 25 in San Francisco is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Known for his major contribution to the rise of plein air painting and Impressionism in the late 19th century, Claude Monet also produced a robust body of work that formed the initial phase of his career.

Claude Monet, “The Porte d’Amont, Étretat,” circa 1868-1869, oil on canvas, 31 1/8 x 38 3/4 in. © Harvard Art Museums 2017 PLEASE NOTE: Bridgeman Images works with the owner of this image to clear permission. If you wish to reproduce this image, please inform us so we can clear permission for you.
Claude Monet, “The Porte d’Amont, Étretat,” circa 1868-1869, oil on canvas, 31 1/8 x 38 3/4 in. © Harvard Art Museums 2017

“Monet: The Early Years” features some 60 paintings produced during a radical period of experimentation for Monet between 1858 and 1872. “In this period,” the museum reports, “the young painter developed his unique visual language and technique, creating striking works that manifested his interest in painting textures and the interplay of light upon surfaces.”

Particularly interesting about these selected works is the tightness with which they were painted — an intriguing contrast to Monet’s more recognizable and canonical Impressionistic works. Further, these works show Monet’s willingness to explore genres that are less common in his later works, including still life, portrait, and genre scenes.

Claude Monet, “The Pointe de La Hevé at Low Tide,” 1865, oil on canvas, 35 1/2 x 59 1/4 in. © Kimbell Art Museum 2017
Claude Monet, “The Pointe de La Hevé at Low Tide,” 1865, oil on canvas, 35 1/2 x 59 1/4 in. © Kimbell Art Museum 2017

“Monet: The Early Years” will be on view through May 29. To learn more, visit the Legion of Honor.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.


Previous articleAre We in the .ART Age?
Next articleCollect an Ocean of Talent
Andrew Webster is the former Editor of Fine Art Today and worked as an editorial and creative marketing assistant for Streamline Publishing. Andrew graduated from The University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.A. in Art History and Ceramics. He then moved on to the University of Oregon, where he completed an M.A. in Art History. Studying under scholar Kathleen Nicholson, he completed a thesis project that investigated the peculiar practice of embedded self-portraiture within Christian imagery during the 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Actually, if I’m not mistaken, the Monet: The Early Years exhibit was just at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, closing on Jan.29 before moving on to San Francisco.

  2. The collaboration between the Kimbell and Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco has been outstanding and it continues as these museums plan for Part 2 which will explore Monet’s later years. I can hardly wait!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here