Good Example Of Art AND Architecture Essay

Compare and Contrast Analysis

Claude Oscar Monet was one of the most famous leaders of the Impressionist Movement in France. His paintings were of remarkable abstraction and are influential even today. The paintings I have chosen for the analysis are Water Lilies and Water Lily Pond.
The painting of the water lily pond is so serene, the strokes are fine and clean. The mix and match of the colours green and blue almost make it look like it is a real picture. The bridge on top of the pond is inspired by Japanese gardens. Monet is actually trying to depict a wild environment with forests all around the pond. From the artwork, we can sense that the sight is very old and the bridge is also very weak as it has been attacked by weeds. The water looks completely green because of the reflection of the trees surrounding the old pond. Such precision gives us a hint that Claude Oscar Monet had put in a lot of effort in making this painting. We also realise that the painting has been from the view of an outsider. This means that it is depicting how it would look like when a person takes a look at the bridge and the pond from a distance. The brush strokes on the making of the trees show the varieties of tree leaves in terms of their colour. We can realise by looking at the painting that the place has been painted in order to give us a peace of mind. It is describing how beautiful nature can be. The painting is also trying to show the light falling on the different areas due to which Monet has given different shades in different areas. For example, since the light is vague on the right side of the bridge, Monet has used a dark blue shade to show that, whereas; the light on the middle of the bridge is shown as being very bright. This overall makes the message that Monet is trying to give us very clear. The forest painted at the back shows how dense it is. It is so thick that nothing can be seen farther than that. It is all dark. Monet has given detailed attention to the flowers present in the meadows which take us towards the water of the beautiful lily pond.
I have chosen the Water Lilies in order to show the contrast in both the paintings. If we think more deeply, we realise that Monet has painted this picture from the view of being near to the water lilies in the pond. It, thus, gives us a closer look of the pond and its beautiful lilies. In contrast to the painting of the Water Lily Pond, the water in this painting is shown to be blue. This also proves the closeness to the water. While we get to see the trees directly in the first painting, in the second painting we see just a mere reflection of the trees on the pond. Monet has shown the light through the use of different shades of blue in water. The painting is from the perspective of an insider of how the pond would look like when someone is standing on the bridge that has been depicted in the former painting. However, if we look more closely at both the paintings, we would realise that the second painting of water lilies has less brush strokes than the painting of the water lily pond. Moreover, the water in the latter painting is shown to be clearer than the water in the former one. This is so because in the first painting, Monet has covered the pond with the drawings of weeds and water lilies and their leaves. But in the second one, there are only a few water lilies of varying colours.
What is common in both the paintings is the calmness and peacefulness depicted in both of these paintings. They have deep meanings in them. They give us a hint of nature’s beauty and the various forms in which Nature can be interpreted as well as presented or imagined. We also realise from such artworks that when we think about creativity, the only thing that comes to our minds is the natural environment. Monet, in such paintings, observes minute things of nature and presents them in his work. He did not have too much of interest in drawing the big picture, he was confined to believing in the small things present in one’s and, in particular, his surroundings. Therefore, it provides us with a realisation that the littlest things are the only important things which make up for a beautiful bigger picture. Many of us may not know this but Monet’s paintings were from the Impressionist view which means that he imagined his art in his mind before even putting it on paper. The vigorous stokes of colour in both the paintings were pure and even though not intentional, they provide us with an animated effect. For example; the water under the bridge looks stagnant from a distance because of being covered with water lilies and other weeds, whereas; when we look at the pond painted in the picture of the water lilies closely, it looks like the water flow is steady. However, the painting of the water lilies is more famous and notable than the first picture of the water lily pond. Some of his other notable works are the Haystacks, Rouen, London Parliament Series and Sunrise. One important difference in the two paintings is the presence of the bridge. For example; the presence of the bridge over the water lily pond makes it more beautiful and complete than the painting of the water lilies. When we look at both the paintings, we notice that there are more colour variations in the painting of the pond than in the one of water lilies. Looking at the shades of light presented by Monet, we also realise that maybe the Water Lily Pond picture is signifying the daytime, whereas; the one of Water Lily is trying to give the night of dusk and probably the night time. However, this kind of an observation depends only on the viewer’s perspective. This means that this observation may be subjective. What strikes our mind when we look at both of the paintings is the time when they were made. We may think that the Water Lily Pond was made first and then Claude must have focused on the lilies under the bridge.
What Claude Oscar is trying to depict from both the paintings is the impression of the movement of the trees, the water and it looks like the trees of the first picture are moving. However, the flowers are constant and there is no movement shown. This gives us a hint of the presence of wind which is stronger near the trees and the thick forest than around the water of the pond. The painting of the water lilies does not have too much to say to us or make us realise, whereas; the water lily pond has more variations and sights for us to observe. The main attraction of the former is the water lilies but in the latter picture, the main attraction is the bridge over the pond. It means that when we first look at the painting of the water lily pond, the first thing we lay our eyes on is the old bridge. But in the other picture, the water lilies are the only thing we observe and realise the most. There are not too many variations and sights painted to show the surroundings. Water has been shown everywhere. Many people are trying to re-paint and re-make these two paintings because of their simplicity but no one has ever been able to make the exact pictures as that of Monet. It may be because they did not imagine the paintings before reconstructing them but Monet actually imagined them first. This is the reason why they look so original like as if they are animations. These paintings show how sharp Claude Oscar Monet was with his imagination and creativity.
Claude Monet’s paintings always have had a hidden meaning. He has made sure to show contrasts in how we see things around us and what we think of when we see them. Both of the paintings I have chosen make us think very deeply. This, in turn, improves our creativity and helps us see things with more clarity and precision. Thus, in order to understand complex paintings such as that of Monet’s, we need to ensure ourselves to be keen observers. We must pay full attention to Nature’s beauty because without it, we would on live unhappy, empty and unsatisfying lives. Therefore, there is no surprise why Claude Oscar Monet’s paintings are influential even in today’s world. In fact, such paintings have attracted people from all over the world since generations. Overall, Claude’s paintings have been successful in inspiring people and have also developed a keen interest in people to observe the natural environment and compare the things they see or even reconstruct them.