Monet in Normandy Exhibit reflections

I traveled up to Cleveland this past weekend to take in the paintings of a master, Claude Monet. The exhibit was at the Cleveland Museum of Art, which is undergoing a 258 Million dollar renovation. Traveling to the museum and finding parking was a bit of a hassle--well all right--it was a major hassle. In case you don't know, the CMA is located around the campus (or is that on the campus?) of Case Western University. The University was holding its graduation on the day of our tickets, May 20th. This was suppose to be the last day of the exhibit, but they have extended it until May 28th.

The streets were naturally torn to pieces by the renovation. They was also construction on Euclid Ave. from downtown Cleveland as well which resulted in us taking an alternate route to the museum. So, on Sunday morning we left early to head up to the museum, only to discover the graduation...oh and did I mention the Cleveland Marathon was being held that morning? This also lead to street closings and bumper to bumper traffic, short tempers, frustration...well you get the picture.

The trip up to the museum didn't exactly leave me in a good mood. I hate city driving as it is, but I'm also a terrible map reader (according to Tom), so the lesser of two evils is for me to drive versus being the navigator (which invaribly will end in an argument about how I can't read a map.) We parked the car, and tried to find the entrance to the museum. There were no signs directing you to the entrance. I guess we were suppose to be clairvoyant and see it in our crystal ball. We walked around for about 15 minutes when some kind souls, who had just left the museum, directed us to the entrance. Finally inside, we got our tickets from Will Call, and I found the comment box. ;-)

Because of the renovation, the rest of CMA is closed down. Everyone filed through the exhibit like good cattle and was very considerate. I wanted to be closer to the paintings to really study his brushwork and blending. You don't get many chances to see this that close. The lighting was not all that good (again--thanks to the renovation I'm sure--if not, I hope they have set aside a large amount of money for new lighting!), but it was sufficient.

The exhibit began in Normandy, Monet's early painting years when his style was tighter and less impressionistic (more realistic). While all his works are wonderfully done and truly masterpieces, it was interesting for me to see the progression of his art through the years. The exhibit included paintings from Rouen Cathedral and Eretat (seascapes), the Popular Tree paintings and hay stacks, and finishes with his work of Giverny. Again, words can't describe the experience a true "student" of Monet has when presented with such a once in a lifetime exhibit. There were times I was winking back the tears of joy when viewing the paintings.

It was also interesting how within this wonderful display there were a few of these paintings that rose above the others. These paintings had wonderful composition, color values and balance, depth, atomsphere---all the elements of a masterpiece painting coming together in that eye catching awe. Most memorable to me was a painting of lily pads. While there were three or four of these paintings, there was one that really caught my eye because the elements of the painting were done so much better than the rest. A look at the dates was just as interesting, as any fan of Monet knows that he was losing his eyesight toward the end of his life. The painting of the lily pads that I was drawn to was done early in his Giverny period. The blending of the colors in the water, the shadows of the pads on the water, the painting of the lily pads with bold yet caressing brushstrokes---I probably blocked a few peoples view I'm sure as I studied his handiwork closely. I then stood across the room and looked at the painting and how all the elements blended together. I let both images soak into my memory.

I never tire of studying Monet's work. I studied and soaked in his skies. I tried to mimic his brushwork in the waves (not touching the painting--after all I didn't want to be thrown out of the exhibit--but stood and moved my brushless hand in the same manner). I took note of his blending style, his choice of values. It was also interesting to see the difference between the paintings that were obiviously plein air and those that were done from studies in his studio.

This was the last stop for this exhibit. It was offered in San Francisco first, followed by the Raliegh Museum of Art in December of 2006 before coming to the Cleveland Museum of Art.
I'm truly blessed and lucky to have had the opportunity to see this Master's work up close and personal. And now, I'm off to my studio to work on my brushwork, blending and skies while thinking of all I was able to note while looking at my "teacher's" work.