Monet’s Grand Canal
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Monets use of color along with use of intricate brush strokes and composition is outstanding. The vast variations of brush strokes and color placement techniques are what make his work so unique and individual. Grand Canal, Venice, 1908 is a prime example of Monets talents in these areas. The structure of the painting is very loose. There are few hard lines in the composition that represents solid structure. The curves in conjunction with the shades of color as well as light usage give the piece a mirage-like effect. It is easy to imagine Monets vantage point while he was painting the picture by the way the composition is set up.
One can tell he was looking towards the buildings on the other side of water because its obvious that the building are being reflected as well as the wooden poles sticking out of the water. It is quite evident that Monet is observing a sunset and that he is painting quickly to capture the full effect of light during this short period of the day with the study of light being the main focus in this work. Shadow also plays a large part in the make up the painting. Monet uses an even tonality of blues, lavenders, oranges and pinks to create the buildings across the water, thus showing the sunlight reflecting off the sides of them.
Its quite amazing how he uses many different colors to create one large color. For instance, in the sky he uses a mixture of greens, pinks, oranges and blues to create the feeling of dusk as the sun slowly sets to the right of the picture. In the far edge of the water he uses greens and blues with a hint of lavender here and there to show the darkness of the water behind the buildings where the sunlight isnt reaching. When the water comes closer to the bottom of the painting there is a heavier use of oranges, yellows and pinks creating a golden mirror-like effect reflecting the light coming off of the buildings. At this point it is hard to determine if the sunlight is actually striking the surface of the water or if it is just the reflection of the sun off of the buildings alone. Once one looks at the poles sticking out of the water its easier to determine if the sun is hitting the water or not. It must be hitting a good portion of the water because only the closest pole is dark, with no sun hitting it, but the poles which are farther away have light, then again it may just be the reflection of the light off of the buildings. This is why the painting has such a mirage-like effect because the viewer cannot really decipher what he or she is supposed to perceive the work as. The actual form of the building is less evident due to the brilliant atmosphere of the painting making it quite clear that Monets main concern with this piece, as well as many of his others, is light. How he uses color to express his concern for light is outstanding.
In this particular piece Monet uses sketch-like brush strokes to create the main objects of the scene. The water consists of numerous horizontal brush stokes in varying color to create the look of reflection. The buildings are more blended and the use of impasto is less evident mainly in the sky. The surface of the painting from the upper parts of the building to the top of the canvas gets smoother as the eye rises. The layering of the colors in the water and heavier strokes of paint allow Monet to create the reflectiveness he is trying to accomplish in order to portray the time of day. The use of smaller strokes and lighter colors over the heavier strokes and darker colors strengthens the effect of the sunlight on the water. For the sky Monet blends the colors together and uses very light shades of them to create the pastel, soft, late day effect. For the buildings he uses a more erratic technique, blending less than the sky. He tends to follow through with the stroke and use less paint to cover more area at a time, unlike the fast, thicker strokes used in the water. Monet is a genius when it comes to using many different colors and brush strokes to create one specific tone of a color and create specific effects with those colors. For example, from a distance the largest pole coming out of the water seems to be mainly brownish-blue color but up close it is actually a conglomeration of purples, greens, reds, oranges and even some black. The same holds true in the rest of the painting. The water is especially intriguing. Monet uses such a vast array of colors mixed together to create the reflective aspect he is trying to portray. It looks as if he started with the darker colors along the edge of the buildings working his way toward the bottom of the canvas. The brush strokes