Book Description
This lavishly illustrated book presents the first complete overview of the life, art, and times of the quintessential Impressionist.Tucker, one of our foremost authorities on Monet, offers a striking new view of the artist, showing him to be a far more complicated figure than previously acknowledged, fiercely competitive and ambitious, as well as sensitive and inventive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Monet
i thought that this was a great book.it was wonderfully written, givingyou a new understanding of the life of a great artist.not only was thebook well writen but it was also full of hundreds of great recreations ofmonets best work.

Excellent!
This book gives a very good over view of his life and work. What he went through to get to where he became well known. This books is well illustrated with work that is not well known and several of his more wellknown work. ... Read more

Book Description
Julie lives in Paris, but she longs to walk in a beautiful country garden. When her mother takes her on a visit to rural Giverny, Julie discovers a beautiful garden and befriends the man she believes is the gardener. In fact, he is the garden’s owner, the immortal artist Claude Monet. This is a title in Barron’s Anholt’s Artists Books for Children series, in which author and illustrator Laurence Anholt recalls memorable and sometimes amusing moments when the lives of the artists were touched by children. Anholt’s fine illustrations appear on every page and include reproductions of works by the artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Magical Garden inspired my students
Anholt's lovely book about Monet is my favorite of the series about famous artists.He demystifies impressionism and actually inspires children to paint their own "magical gardens"!!

ArtAppreceation for children
Fine art apprecation was a lost thing among adults let alone children, encouraging an understanding of art at a young age will encorage intrest in art in children and their caregivers alike. Help kids enjoy art and culture while reading a fun story. With this book, (and the others in the series) they introduce kids to the famous artworks of great painters throughout history while encoraging a childs imagination to be creative and tell a story with each picture.

This story is even better because it is based on factual people, even the little girl. She embarks on a journey with her mother to visit a friend..the little girl ends up chasing her runaway dog on the trip and finds herself in a most magnificent garden..only to find out that is the "friend" they were going to visit. This book is wonderful, historical, educational, and fun. It encourages children to think about paintings, and to form images and stories for each one, to think about "what would it be like to be inside that painting".

Great for Toddlers
The Magical Garden of Claude Monet is a great way to expose young children to impressionist art.My son loved the story of Julie in Monet's garden.Julie is a young French girl who takes a train with her Mother to visit Monet's garden. As they arrive into the countryside, her dog runs away and is found in Monet's garden.Soon the painter and Julie become friends.The illustrations are bright and colorful.You almost feel as if you are inside one of Monet's paintings.Children will be captivated by the story as well as the beautiful pictures.

Breathtaking journey for children into Monet's paintings
I have long been a fan of Linnea in Monet's Garden - so I was very excited to find this new series of books by Laurence Anholt. Anholt's approach to introducing children to these artists - he has covered Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, and DaVinci - is to use their art to create the backgrounds and settings for his characters. This book in particular is my favorite of the series because it is crowned with a fold out of Monet's vivid Waterlilies with a tiny boat floating across it carrying the story's members - Monet and a little girl who happens upon his garden. Before it is over, the little girl plucks one of the lilies from the famous painting as a memoir. My daughter loves this picture - and it is almost surreal to me to see Monet's art coming to life in such a manner. I can hardly wait until she visits the museum and sees the real painting. Watching her make this connection should be very exciting.

Aside from this stunning mixture of Monet's work and Anholt's own lush artwork - carefully drawn to compliment the featured art - the book gives some great educational information about Monet by weaving it into the story - all this without ever starting to sound like a textbook. The story retains its' focus and its' charm without becoming boring. That is an amazing accomplishment in my opinion.

I hope to purchase the entire set for a lovely and educational Christmas gift. These are sure to become beloved classics. Any children's book that learns to entertain both child and parent equally often does. ... Read more

Book Description
Between the motif and the artist Claude Monet (1840-1926) was both the most typical and the most individual painter of Impressionism. His long life and extraordinary work capacity - coupled with a sometimes furious perfectionism--he dedicated to a pictorial exploration of the sensations which reality, and in particular landscape offer the human eye. But while Monet the painter was faithful and persevering in the pursuit of his motifs, his personal life - characterized by frequent travels and changes of location -- followed a more restless course. Parisian by birth, he discovered plein-air painting as a youth in the provinces and sought to defy his family's insistence upon an academic painter's training. For over half his life the artist was plagued by financial worries, which in part precipitated the frequent moves made by his expanding household. Two of his homes stand out above the rest. The first, Argenteuil, has come to represent the artistic flowering and official establishment of Impressionism as a movement, with Monet as its creative leader. But it was also Monet who, in his endeavour to capture the ever-changing face of reality, went beyond Impressionism and thereby beyond the confines of the self-contained panel painting. This step he took in the village of Giverny: here he painted the Poplars, Grain Stacks and Rouen Cathedral series in which he addressed one motif in constantly new variations. Here, too, Monet laid out the famous garden with its water lily pond which he was to paint on huge canvases well into the 1920s. He thereby sought to render not reality as objectively experienced, but rather that which takes place 'between the motif and the artist'. In their open, nolonger more than tenuously representational structure and impressive scale, his water lily paintings - created long before the currents of the contemporary avant-garde-point the way forward to the developments of the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Outstanding book!!
I loved this book!The pictures were wonderful and the readings that wentwith them were as well.Learned many things that I did not know about hisartwork.VERY informative...give it a try, it would make a great giftbook!

Little substance, fair reproductions
Another book on the overblown impressionists. Little commentary and fair reproductions. A perfect book to put on your coffee table with your Renoir coasters. Souveneir book only. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A detailed introduction to Claude Monet in his time for young students
The Artists in Their Time series explores some of the most influential artist of the 20th century.The goal is to discuss the work of each artist in relation to not only their life but also what was happening in the world around them at the time.Here Susie Hodge looks at Claude Monet, one of the greatest artists of all time whose work is so popular it adorns thousands of items from cookie tins and mouse pads to tablecloths.I have also seen some of his famous paintings of water lilies reproduced as wall murals that you can use to decorate your home (and do not think that I have not thought of decorating a master bedroom suite around such a mural, other paintings of Monet, and as close to his particular shade of blue as I can get for painting the walls).

Hodge breaks down Monet's life into a series of distinct periods (e.g, First Success, Monte's Garden), within which she highlights key elements (e.g., money problems, portable paints).Sidebars are devoted to other key points (e.g., Monet's Eyesight, The Influence of Japan).Usually on the bottom left of each two-page spread you will find a Timeline that traces key events in Monet's life (the entire Timeline is repeated in the back of the book).In addition to covering the biographical details of Monet's life, the emphasis is on the evolution of his art and the birth of Impressionism.Since the name of the movement was coined by the critic Louis Leroy in his insulting article "Exhibition of Impressionists" after seeing Monet's "Impression, Sunrise," Monet was going to be an important figure in the history of the Impressionists on that basis alone.But then the rest of his paintings would help make him the paradigmatic Impressionist artist.Certainly he holds that position for me.

The book is amply illustrated and you have to get to the final pages on Monet's life before you will not find three illustrations on each two-page spread.A dozen of Monet's paintings, including "Impression, Sunrise" and "Interior of the Gare Saint-Lazare," are reproduced on right-hand pages, along with comments on the paintings and often a quote from Monet.Two other Monet paintings are reproduced in smaller fashion and Hodge makes an effort to show the works of artists from whom Monet learned to paint (e.g., Eugene Boudin's "Evening, Le Havre"), those of his friends (e.g., "Self-portrait" by Camille Pissarro), and those who came after him that were inspired by Monet's art (e.g., Vincent van Gogh's "Irises").Other paintings reflect such events as the Franco-Prussian War and Exposition Universelle of 1889.There are also photographs reflecting the times, although the ones that I found most interesting attempted to show what some of the thing Monet painted in his Impressionist works "really" looked like.One of the interesting aspects of the book are the various paintings of Monet himself done by other artists, from Charles-Maire Lhuillier and Edouard Manet to Auguste Renoir, Gustave Caillebotte and John Singer Sargent.

The only real complaint is that when Hodge talks the twenty-five paintings that Monet did of the haystacks in a field neat his house in Giverny, there is only one example, "Haystacks at the End of Summer, Morning."Since I have seen several of the paintings in the series at the Art Institute of Chicago, it would be nice to have seen more than one example here so that instead of talking about how Monet painted them at different times, from different angels, and different colors and lights, you could see more of the paintings to evidence the point.But the book does live up to its goal of presenting the artist in his time, and there are plenty of other books for young readers to turn to for more about Monet after they have enjoyed this splendid introduction.Other titles in this series include looks at Salvador Dali, Alberto Giacometti, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, and Andy Warhol. ... Read more

Book Description
Windswept skies, towering poplars, vertiginous cliffs, majestic cityscapes, Claude Monet captured in luminous paint the fleeting moments that make up these images of landscape.In so doing, he conveyed the vitality of nature and the elements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Beautiful and Very Informative Adjunct to theMonet Library
Monet's evocative landscapes with their lush and subtle colors, thrilling use of light from various times of the day and the seasons, and varied locations of vantage have rarely been so beautifully presented as in this small but elegant book by Vivian Russell.

Russell has visited many of the sites Monet painted and took photographs not only of the particular subject of his paintings, but also of the surrounding countryside, a fact that adds flavor of place to what must have inspired Monet. Not only does she include the coasts of France and Giverny, Monet's home and famous gardens, but she also traveled to Venice (some of Monet's most ethereal works are from this special haven), Norway, the flower fields of Holland, and the majesty of London.

The photographs are superb and offer interesting information on what Monet decided to edit or to enrich with the impressionist's eye.Russell is a fine writer and her comments and sensitivity to include much information from Monet's letters makes this book not only a perfect coffee table tome, but also a fine adjunct to art students and collectors alike.Highly Recommended!Grady Harp, August 05 ... Read more

Product Description
Hardback book is comprised of 6 picture puzzles each with 63 pieces and representing lovely thatched roof and cottage garden artwork. ... Read more

Book Description
The delightful tale of two frogs who reside in the pond at Monet's Giverny is sure to enchant even the youngest reader. Convinced that the old painter in the straw hat is painting their portraits, the frogs pose patiently season after season. The colorful pastel illustrations are accompanied by a three page gatefold that features a reproduction of one of Monet's renowned water lily paintings and a brief biography of the artist. Once Upon A Lily Pad is a fun read aloud and an enticing introduction to art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"I now pronounce you frog and wife."
This charming little book introduces the fabulous work of painter Claude Monet, of the French Impressionists, in the guise of a love story between two small frogs who inhabit the lily pond Monet so famously painted in canvas after canvas. Hector and Henriette are married, living amid the splendor of Monet's watery garden. But they have assumed that they are the models for the old man in the straw hat that comes near every day and sets up his easel for hours of work. They don't mind posing, not really, but eventually get bored. Their complaints are rudely interrupted by a crow, who inserts himself into the conversation to announce that it is he, not the frogs that the old man is painting. Of course, the frogs find such an idea outrageous and make no bones about telling the crow what they think of his pretensions.

Before the matter can be settled, the crow flies down and snatches up the newly born tadpoles, shocking the frogs into silence. But the old painter sees this and quickly throws a stone at the crow, freeing the tadpoles and settling the question once and for all. Thankful for the respite for their small, but growing family, the frogs are content once more to pose for the painter. They do so for many years, until, one year the old man doesn't return and they realize this blissful time in their lives has ended.

The illustrations by Kathleen Fain are delightful, as the frogs prop themselves on lily pads, hopping from page to page and hopefully painting to painting. In colors as vivid as the Impressionists, it is possible to imagine a frog or two tucked among the petals or peeking through the greenery. At the end of the story is a gatefold of Monet's Water Lilies, to give the young reader a sample of the master's work. This small, bright volume is a perfect introduction to the world of art, Monet's canvases full of the energy and passion of the Impressionist School. Framed in a silly story of two happy frogs and their tadpoles, children can learn about a wonderful artist who never tired of his garden and the variety it offered to his palette. Luan Gaines/2005.

Once Upon a Lily Pad
My kids were interested and entertained by this book.They loved the illustrations and it gave them a great introduction to the art of Claude Monet. ... Read more

Book Description
"Steven" traces Monet's life from his childhood, through his rejection of traditional painting and the development of Impressionism, to his final, settled years in Giverny, sprinkling the report with his own drawings and comments. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

And parents learn, too!
"Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies" was a terrific book for my 7-year-old daughter. Since it is "written" from the perspective of afifth grade student doing a report on the famous artist, the language was clear, concise, and interesting to a child my daughter's age. I learned from it, too! My daughter couldn't wait to break out her paints and try her hand at an "impressionist" painting of her own! For anyone who wants their child to learn about art, this book --and the whole series of "Smart About Art" books--is a great place to start. Your child--and you, too!--will definately enjoy this book.

Poppies or Waterlilies?
This is one in a series of books about artists for young children about the lives and paintings of these famous oldsters.Written as a report by a fictitious student gives a different aspect and will appeal to school children perhaps; and yet, it contains a biography of Claude Monet (the good and the bad) which appeals to adults, but especially his marvelous paintings are worth the money.

He was very handsome when he went to Paris at the age of 18, but the other painters kidded him with the nickname "Dandy" because he wore ruffled cuffs even though he was just the son of a poor grocer.As a young child in the early school years, he would draw stetches of his teachers and sell them to his classmates.The sketch he drew when he was sixteen looks like something you might see in 'The New Yorker' and is now a part of the expressionist grouping at the Art Institute of Chicago.Some years ago, my son Geoff took me there but that part was closed off for renovation.I told him it didn't matter as there was so much else to look at; as it turns out, the expressionalists are my favorites.Oh well, it was grand just being there.

'The Poppy Field' is one of his most famous, but the people in Knoxville would much prefer 'Water Lilies' because of the purple. By his 83rd birthday, he had finished twenty-two giant paintings of waterlilies. He had his own water gardens as an older man with a bridge (a photo of him standing by with his long white beard); there in his garden at Giverny the flowers were so colorful and plentiful, it could be Longwood Gardens in New Jersey.He and Renoir painted the same scene of a group of party-goers along a frog pond and the canoes pulled up for their use.Renoir's is a close-up though he has one of his trees with long hanging branches, while Monet's is more exact and clear.

He was happily married twice but the deaths took their toll; Camille had been his model for ten years before their marriage and he painted many strange pictures after her death with her face in them.When Alice died, he was so distraught he was unable to paint for some years as his eyesight diminished.In 1923, he endured eye operations and had special glasses to use for resuming his career.

Steven ends his report with "On December 5, 1926, he died (shortly after his 87th birthday).He had been happy, sad, poor and rich.In his life, Monet painted more than 2,000 paintings, which now sell for millions of dollars.They are worth it."

Some of the phrasing is for kids to understand, but the book is so full of information not included in adult biographies it is well worth the time and money to purchase this little treasure. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most influential painters of modern times, Claude Monet lived for half his life in the famous house at Giverny. It was after moving here in 1883 with his future second wife, Alice Hoschedé, and their eight children that Monet's work finally achieved recognition. His growing success meant that he was able to indulge his passion for comfort and good living.

Family meals, special celebrations, luncheons with friends, picnics: all reflected the Monets' love of good food. Just as the inspiration for many of Monet's paintings was drawn from his beloved gardens and the surrounding Normandy landscape, so the meals served at Giverny were based upon superb ingredients from the kitchen-garden (a work of art in itself), the farmyard, and the French countryside.

A moody, reserved, and very private man whose daily routine revolved totally around his painting, Monet nevertheless enjoyed entertaining his friends, many of whom were leading figures of the time. As well as his fellow Impressionists -- in particular Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas and Cézanne -- other regular guests included Rodin, Whistler, Maupassant, Valéry, and one of Monet's closest friends, the statesman Clemenceau.

They came to dine in almost ritual form, first visiting Monet's studio and the greenhouses, then having lunch at 11:30 (the time the family always dined, to enable Monet to make the most of the afternoon light). Tea would later be served under the lime trees or near the pond. Guests were never invited to dinner; because Monet went to bed very early in order to rise at dawn. All the guests were familiar with Monet's rigid timetable.

The recipes collected in his cooking journals include dishes Monet had encountered in his travels or had come across in restaurants he frequented in Paris as well as recipes from friends, such as Cézanne's bouillabaisse and Millet's petits pains.

For this book, the author Claire Joyes, wife of Madame Monet's great-grandson, has spent years selecting the Monets' favorite recipes and writing a wonderfully evocative introductory text. All of the recipes have been artfully prepared and brought back to life in Monet's own kitchen by master chef Joël Robuchon.

Illustrated with sumptuous reproductions of Monet's paintings, spectacular original four-color photographs of Giverny, selected shots of finished dishes, and facsimile pages from the notebooks themselves, this book provides a fascinating and unique insight into the turn-of-the-century lifestyle of one of the world's most celebrated Impressionist painters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Monet's Table: The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet
This is the most spectacular cook book I have ever seen, splashed with the colours of Monet's house and gardens, garnished with photos of the foods served therein. I wish I had his kitchen stove - it looks as though it provides 24 square feet of cooking surface. Biographical notes put it all into historical and human perspective; and to top it all off ... the recipes. Ah, the recipes, all placed before us in modern terms that make these wondrous foods perfectly doable. After reading 'Monet's Table' and trying out the mussels in herbs, I bought three more copies to send to my closest foodie friends.

This book creates its own world, a feeling of France in the 19th cent.
This is one of my favorite books in the whole world, not because of any one thing, but because of how its different parts hinge together to stand you right in the middle of a completely creative spirit. You can get lost in the pages and sense Monet's life. His gardens, the notes on food, the kitchen. It is a large book, perfect for a lap. Sit with it and list-making tools. Think of a kitchen in another time, when food was beautiful and flavors strong and true. I have made the green cake (vert-vert) and it was pretty good, amazingly pretty. The recipes chew at the back of your mind and then you find yourself making something from it on a rainy day when you have also bought flowers at the grocery. If you get this book you will probably buy flowers at the grocery from then on, and that will make you happy.

A Cook's Paradise.
As a lover of the Impressionist movement, I felt compelled to make the pilgrimage to the house of Claude Monet located a few miles north of Paris in the small town of Giverny, Normandy. Monet's refuge is a shrine of the art world renowned for its beautiful and expansive garden filled with flowers, trees, a lake and its famous bridge.

When I entered Monet's home, the dining room made a strong impression upon me: large, very inviting and splashed in yellow as if Monet had tried to capture the strong summer sun to overcome the cloudy winter days of Normandy. The table for twelve was tastefully set with blue and white china with a centerpiece of dazzling fresh flowers, as if beckoning its guests to prepare for a savory adventure to be accompanied by lively discussion. As I passed through the dining room into the kitchen, I noticed that the old, black oven fitted with brass trim and graced with copper pots and pans was still capable of generating warmth, even if the fire went out of it long ago. It was at that moment that I decided to purchase "Monet's Table: The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet", and I have reaped far more from this book than the French francs I had traded in return.

In an interview published on November 26, 1900, in "Le Temps", Claude Monet declared "I am a Parisian of Paris. I was born there in 1840, ... I was born incapable of being disciplined. No one was ever able to make me stick to the rules, not even in my youngest days." Despite this boastful protestation, I am of the personal opinion after having studied his art, visited his home and read books and journals about the artist, that he was, if not disciplined, then certainly dedicated and devoted to the creation of the sensory arts of painting and fine dining in their truest form. These qualities are beautifully illustrated in this beautiful cookbook featuring 160 recipes of Monet's best-loved dishes such as Cezanne's bouillabaisse, Coquilles Saint-Jacques a la Florentine, Lobster Newburg, duck pate', chestnut soufflé, crepes made with Cognac, orange and almond cake and even banana ice cream. The book is comfortably divided into sections including soups, egg dishes, entrees, poultry, meat, game, seafood, desserts and conserves. I personally appreciate the range of simplicity to complexity offered by these recipes that enable me to select from those that are easy and fast to prepare and those that require more time and ingredients, depending upon the time I wish to allot. What I most enjoy sharing with my family and friends is the old world taste and richness of the dishes offered by this book that you do not readily find in most cookbooks. As an added and unexpected bonus, I am transported to a beautiful part of our world, rich in its history and creative in its many art forms that live on in my memory through this book.

The Preface was written in the form of a dedication to Claude Monet in May 1989 by Joel Robuchon, the Jamin Restaurant Chef de Cuisine. He researched the notebook of recipes kept and used by the Monet family for their family meals as well as those prepared for such noteworthy guests as Clemenceau, Renoir, Pissaro, Durand-Ruel and others. Mr. Robuchon adapted these turn of the 19th century recipes to accommodate modern day kitchen equipment that was unavailable at that time. His Preface ends with his grateful appreciation to Mr. Monet for all of his discovery, his generosity, his artistically beautiful and excellent tasting recipes which were a testament to authentic cuisine of the period, and lastly, for Mr. Monet's legacy to us of living art of every day life. The photography by Jean-Bernard Naudin is excellent. He was assisted by the stylist Nanou Billault in recreating the meals served at Monet's home; however, the subjects of his photography in this book exceed the replication of beautiful recipes such as foie gras truffe' en croute (foie gras encased in a crust) and oignons blancs farcis de Charlotte Lyses (stuffed white onions incorporating Gruyere cheese, fresh herbs, and roast pork or chicken). There are photographs of hand-written recipes on paper yellowed with age, framed by broken edges and stained by life's usage; "la sorbietiere" or the "ice pail" to make the traditional banana ice cream on Christmas Day; Monet's famed kitchen, dining room and studio; baskets filled with wild mushrooms; a picnic table on the grass under an apple tree; and, of course, photos of many of Monet's paintings, such as Le Petit Dejeuner painted in 1868, Le Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe painted in 1865, and Les Galettes. For devotees of the artist as well as history buffs, there are also some wonderful original photographs of Monet, including photos of the painter in his car leaving for his weekly trip to the market, in his garden with family members as they greeted the first American painters to his home, and in the company of Georges Clemenceau, former French prime minister, mayor of Mont Martre, author and teacher, in June 1921 on the Japanese bridge surrounded by wisteria.

The photography of Monet's garden is nothing short of breathtaking. I found myself lulled into daydreaming especially while browsing through the photos of the winter scenes of Monet's garden. One picture displaying the hues of green, blue and icy gray features Monet's lake surrounded by trees, bushes and tall blades of grass laced with frost. By the landing, there is a lonely rowboat on this mirrored lake with two paddles beckoning you as a passerby to come closer and fill the emptiness created by the chill of winter. As you turn the page to another beautiful winter scene, you can see the renown pink and white house with its vine-covered trellis in the background, and the forefront dominated by the landscaping filled with trees and their green leaves, shrubs, arches and even pink roses, all of which seem to be completely taken by surprise with the early frost clinging to the pink flowers and green leaves as though they were dusted with sugar crystals. I treasure this book as much for the memories of my visit to Monet's house and garden as for its insight into the realm of Monet including his time honored recipes.

What recipes!
I asked for this book for Christmas after glancing through it at the Bostom Museum of Fine Arts.Monet's one of my favorites, and the biographical stuff (about a third of the book) is fine.

But the recipes are remarkable!Monet was a fanatic in the kitchen, swiping recipes from everybody he knew -- there are reproductions of some of his notebook pages, and they're interesting even if your French (like mine) is weak.

I've done six of the recipes, pork and fish and potatoes and what-all -- and every one was remarkable.This was a period in French cooking where haute cuisine was starting to materialize out of the various regional traditions, and Monet was a careful and discriminating observer of the process.

If you love painting and eating, you have to have this book!

Great as an overall book, not bad as a cookbook
Overall, this is a nice book to add to a collection and a great gift. For those interested in art, particulalry Impressionism, it's a unique look at the everyday life of Claude Monet. There are some great pictures of Giverney, as well. As an "everyday" french cookbook, it has a very limited, but interestingselection of dishes. It's old style french country cooking (heavy on the butter and duck fat) that has some very easy selections (Chicken in White Wine Sauce) and some that require some real effort and time. You might think of it as a book you'd reference when you had some time to prepare something different for a Sunday dinner.

If you purely want a french cookbook, buy something else. For those that want something unique and broader in terms of French culture/history, this might be a good choice. ... Read more

Book Description
Strokes of genius: the magic of Monet...

Claude Monet (1840-1926) was both the most typical and the most individual painter associated with the Impressionist movement. His long life and extraordinary work were dedicated to a pictorial exploration of the sensations which reality, and in particular landscape, offer the human eye. Monet's poplars, grain stacks, Rouen Cathedral, and waterlily paintings — among the most beloved works of the Impressionist period — were created long before the currents of the contemporary avant-garde and had an inestimable influence on the development of modern art. This book traces the life's work of one of art history's most beloved painters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Well illustrated but the text lacks depth
Monet by Karin Sagner provides a chronological account of Monet's life and work, with perhaps the emphasis on the former. While his paintings are discussed in relation to his life and travels, and occasionally influences, there is only a little in the way of in depth discussion of the work itself. The book concludes with a Biographical Summary illustrated with black and white photographs; there is no bibliography.

This is a well produced and attractively presented book; the pictures run with the text, and appear on the same page or as close as is practical to their mention in the text. The text is printed in quite a large size, and the images vary from around postcard size to full page plates and are almost entirely in full colour. There are about 225 illustrations, all but a very few of the paintings in full colour, most of the black and white images being period photographs. The quality of the plates is excellent often revealing the bush work and texture of the painted surface.

Good Overall Presentation
Taschen always offers high-quality art books on glossy paper at very reasonable prices; this Monet volume is a case in point.My only gripe is that more late work is not presented, such as full-page spreads of the late water lily paintings.Still, you can't beat the price. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Coloring mbooks for the creative
There is a large array of these coloring books of famous artists.Monet is perfectly fit for it.I expect I'll get others.It is a strong medition on arts masters.

Some What Disappointed
I am an avid coloring adult. It is great for your stress release and it takes your mind off everything else for a short time. I was very excited when I saw the Monet coloring book. I thought it would be really cool to do. However after receiving it and starting my first page to color. I have to admit I was disappointed. Most of the prints are hard to make out in places and you cannot color them to match the orginal art work as there is a lot of white. So, all in all it was a let down. ... Read more

Amazon.com
After the scores of beautiful Monet books that have been published over the last two decades, it is hard to imagine that a new one could be indispensable.But this volume, the catalog of an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (fall 1998, then travels to the Royal Academy of Arts in London) is more than just lovely. The main essay, by Paul Hayes Tucker, is a spellbinding history that ably places Monet and his late works in the context of the shattering political upheavals of his time. Tucker demonstrates the patriotic ideal of La France, which for Monet and his public was the ur-subject of his entire oeuvre up to the end of the 19th century, from the crashing waves at Étretat to the shimmering facades of Chartres. Then came the Dreyfus affair, with the Catholic Church and French conservatives united in an anti-Semitic attack against the innocent Jewish army captain accused of treason. Monet passionately and actively joined the writer Émile Zola, who was arrested for defending Dreyfus in his famous article, "J'Accuse." Tucker traces the rift in Monet's use of imagery from this time forward, as he turns his back on quintessentially French scenes to focus instead on the closely observed gardens in his own back yard. Tucker also subtly evokes Monet's despair during the long years of World War I, and his often heroic efforts to be of use, despite his age. This sumptuous volume, with its 12 fold-out plates of the Water Lilies, is very, very beautiful, but its story of an aging artist deeply engaged in his art and his times is something even better. --Peggy Moorman Book Description
This sumptuously illustrated book examines for the first time the rich body of work that Monet completed from 1900 to his death in 1926, a period during which he was enormously productive and more venerated than ever before.. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A wonderfull look at Monet
I found this book not only to be filled with the wonderfull works of Claude Monete but it also has a great insight to his life and the imprssion he left on modern art today. This book also contains full fold-out picturesof some of the artists best works. For anyone who has ever enjoyed any ofMonets work you will love this book.

A must,for anyone looking to expand an art library!
This book is a perfect addition to any art library. Having seen "Monet in the 20th Century" in Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts, I was wellprepared for the exhibit by having read the book first. I foundthe exhibit to be an extraordinary example of Monet's achievment in hislater years. This book focuses on the works of Monet starting at the startof this century right up to his death in 1928. All through this period ofMonet's life and including the representation of the body of work producedwithin those years, this book never skips a beat. Although not anall-encompassing look at his complete works of that period, this bookoffers the best look out there of his paintings as well as his developmentthroughout the last quarter-century of his life. I found it to be inkeeping with what is already known about Monet's later years, but certainlynot devoid of interesting insights. The quality of the book, it's contents,including all of the color plates reproduced within is very good. I wouldnot have an art library without Monet representation, and this is the idealbook for an addition or a starter. ... Read more

Book Description
Big art for little hands, these enchanting activity books allow young artists to explore the world's masterpieces on their own terms and with plenty of space to color outside the lines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

do not buy this book
It is a few black outlines that you could do with tracing paper.A major disappointment. --awful ... Read more

Book Description
This imaginative board book features beautiful paintings by a renowned artist paired with playful, rhyming text. In A Picnic with Monet, Claude Monet's light-filled paintings take children on an enchanted picnic in the countryside. This board book is a fun introduction ot art and an imaginative adventure all rolled into one! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A children's book that is enjoyable for adults!
Beautiful pictures, a peaceful read.Leave this one out on your coffee table; kids won't be the only ones who love it!

One of the best in the MiniMasters Series
This book is wonderful.The sentences are short and sweet and they rhyme, which catches my little boy's attention.This is one of his bedtime books.Other books in the MiniMaster Series that are just as good are "Quite Time with Cassatt" and "Sharing with Renior".We have all of the books in the series and these three are our favorites.

Very Cute!
A cute book with great pictures, great rhymes, and it feels good to know that it is educational too.Never too early to appreciate great art!

Excellent Introduction to Art
My daughter is 17 months old and loves this series of books.The artwork is representative of the original work and the words do a great job of telling a story for each picture in a descriptive way without "squashing creativity" for the reader.

Amazing Children's Book
My friend bought four of Julie Merberg's books for my daughter when she turned one.I love all of the ones she bought, but this one is my favorite.I love Claude Monet and the pictures in this book are some of his best ones.The words that go along with each picture, flow very nicely and relate to each corresponding picture.These are really nice to get to start to your child's collection; especially if you want them to appreciate art. ... Read more

Book Description
Claude Monet was a true magician of light and of colour. Yet it is not only his painting that fascinates us, but also the interesting life he led with his family and many friends. This book tells the tale of an unusual artist and his wonderful pictures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Don't Miss Monet!
I believe everyone should enjoy this wonderful book , full of wonderful illustrations and details about the beautiful art of impressionism. Few words can describe the artistry and talent of this book, and I believe it should be a classic experienced and read by all. ... Read more