During my time in Tokyo this spring I was able to visit quite a few art museums, one of my favorite things to do in the city and I had the opportunity to see a good number of Claude Monet’s paintings. As I stood there admiring his work ( one of his poplar pieces I think ) it occurred to me that while I was a big fan of his work and have seen quite number of his paintings in person in Paris and Tokyo over the years, I do not yet own a good copy of his art book, so I set about getting this fixed.

This giant monograph by Taschen books was the obvious choice; the publisher is renowned for its high quality art books sold at very reasonable prices, and I have a good number of them myself. Running at a whopping 588 pages, the first thing that struck me as I thumbed through the book was the sheer prolificacy of Monet; the artist produced A LOT of work over his life-time, many of which are completely new to me.

I’ve not had time to read the writing, which I’m sure is packed with illuminating stories and details of Monet’s work, but the reproductions of the paintings are per Taschen standards; clean, crisp and dynamic colors.

Book synopsis – No other artist, apart from J. M. W. Turner, tried as hard as Claude Monet (1840–1926) to capture light itself on canvas. Of all the Impressionists, it was the man Cézanne called “only an eye, but my God what an eye!” who stayed true to the principle of absolute fidelity to the visual sensation, painting directly from the object.

It could be said that Monet reinvented the possibilities of color. Whether it was through his early interest in Japanese prints, his time as a conscript in the dazzling light of Algeria, or his personal acquaintance with the major painters of the late 19th century, the work Monet produced throughout his long life would change forever the way we perceive both the natural world and its attendant phenomena. The high point of his explorations was the late series of water lilies, painted in his own garden at Giverny, which, in their approach towards almost total formlessness, are really the origin of abstract art.

This biography does full justice to this most remarkable and profoundly influential artist, and offers numerous reproductions and archive photos alongside a detailed and insightful commentary.

(above) The Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris. I visited it many years ago, and while my memory of the place is rather faded now, I do still remember just how stunning Monet’s paintings are.

I believe the bulk of Monet’s best works are spread across several art museums in Paris, and short of making a trip there to see them in person, this extensive monograph by Taschen is the next best way to enjoy his paintings. For such a huge volume, the price of $44 is a tremendous bang for your art buck. My highest recommendations.

“Monet – The Triumph Of Impressionism” art book details :

– Dimensions – 8.5 x 2 x 10.5 inches
– Hardcover, 588 pages
– Full color

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