The Treatment of space and structure in 2-D artworks: Claude Monet

Claude Monet, Impression Sunrise, 1872, Oil on Canvas

What you need to know about the artist and the artwork:

Monet was an Impressionist.

• Impressionism was an art movement that originated in France between 1860 and 1900.
• The Impressionists rejected the conventional, academic style of painting popular at the time.
• They were dubbed the Impressionists by an art critic attempting to discredit the artists and their independent show (as in 1874 they set up their own exhibition instead of showcasing their work in a traditional manner at the Salon). This critic used the word "impression" to describe the sketchy, unfinished quality of the works, but it was quickly adapted by the artists themselves.
• The Impressionists explored through their application of paint how it was possible to capture a sensory impression.
• Their loose use of color, distinct brushstrokes, bright palette and disregard for shading sets them apart from their predecessors, as does their choice of nature as subject matter.
• The Impressionists were particularly interested of the effect of lighting on a scene. Monet was known to paint the same subject matter again and again in different lighting.
  
• As the Impressionists were "capturing the moment", they painted outdoors, which was against the convention of the day.

To know about Monet:

• studied drawing in his teens, and at 17 discovered painting in the open-air and found it to be his calling.
• regarded as a master of observation.
• seen as a "leader" among the members of the movement not for his scholarly knowledge but for his ability to be alert to possibilities in seemingly common ideas. He also took his work farther from the norms than the others, from which they then followed.
• In 1890 Monet purchased property in Giverny, France. He created a garden with a lily pond and a Japanese bridge here, and starting in 1906 this became the inspiration for almost all of his paintings.
• Monet had cataracts in both of his eyes, resulting in limited sight. Despite this, he continued to paint with marvelous colors, and his subject matter became less and less distinct.
  

Other artists in the Impressionist's movement:

• Edgar Degas
• Paul Cézanne
• Camille Pissarro
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir
• Alfred Sisley

For more of Monet's works go to: http://giverny.org/monet/welcome.htm
I'd highly recommend taking a browse around the site -- look too at how the Impressionist painters use color :D