Claude Monet spent the last 43 years of his long life at Giverny, creating the paintings and gardens for which he is now revered.From the standpoint of his garden this book considers the controlling intelligence behind both landscape and art, and the influences that shaped Monet's life and vision. It is divided into three sections: The Man, The Garden, and The Paintings. The artist is shown as a consummate plantsman who composed his gardens with an Impressionist's care for colour and form, re-interpreting its motifs in paintings of power and abstraction. Drawing upon the voices of Monet and his contemporaries and offering a wealth of horticultural detail, this is a fascinating celebration of a unique artistic mind. Using contemporary correspondence and plant catalogues, with over 150 illustrations including paintings, engravings andgarden views from Monet's lifetime and today's magnificent recreation, this book provides a visual exploration of the gardens at Giverny where Monet celebrated his passion for painting and plants. Why? The restoration of Monet's garden at Giverny draws in hundreds of thousands of people from around the world as it provides a unique living link between the artist and his domain. This book enhances that experience for those who have visited or are about to visit. Even if you never have the opportunity the reader, like Monet, can lose themselves in the planted colours he would have known. |
