'I perhaps owe it to flowers', wrote Claude Monet (1840-1926), 'that I became a painter.' One of the leading figures of the Impressionist movement and perhaps the most celebrated landscape painter of his age, Monet dedicated his life to capturing the subtleties of the natural world. Trees - willows enveloped in the eerie mists of the Seine, palm trees beneath the bright Mediterranean sun or poplars heavily laden with snow - became a significant motif in his work, and he used them to experiment with an extraordinary variety of tones and colours. Ralph Skea's account is split into five main chapters, each focusing on a different theme: Monet's earliest drawings and paintings of trees; his atmospheric use of rivers and coastlines, from the English Channel to the Italian Riviera; the fields, farmlands and orchards of France; parks and gardens in both the city and the countryside, including his series of paintings featuring trees reflected in his water-lily pond; and his muted depictions of trees in winter. The result is a succint and highly accessible exploration of some of the best-loved landscapes in art.

An exploration of Monet's work through his life-long fascination with the natural world

About the Author
Ralph Skea is a former Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee, Scotland. He is the author of Vincent's Gardens, Vincent's Trees, Monet's Trees and Vincent's Portraits, all published by Thames & Hudson.


Book Information
ISBN 9780500239407
Author Ralph Skea
Format Hardback
Page Count 112
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 540g