Impressions of Monet.

I recently had the occasion to visit the Monet exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. Several things about this exhibit blew me away.

First, the sheer number of Monet’s paintings on display is amazing. Monet’s evolution as a artist is obvious. One can clearly see the contrast between the student developing his style in the earliest paintings and the master perfecting his style in the colors and textures of the haystacks of Giverny.

Second, I never realized how many shades of red there are until I saw Red Chrysanthemums. Viewing this privately owned painting was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Unless, of course, I win the Mega Millions jackpot. . .

Third, a true pleasure of living in Western New York is standing in a field in the middle of a snowstorm. (Really, I am not kidding.) Wearing a heavy winter jacket and hat, you are insensitive to the cold and there is a feeling of tranquility that, for me, is hard to find elsewhere. One of the last paintings I saw at the Monet exhibit was Snow Effect at Giverny. At first glance, it looks like a plain white canvas, but then the faint blue outline of a farmhouse and hay piles emerge in the background. You can almost hear the snow falling around you. Unbelievable.

If that knocked your socks off, take a look at our next cool topic, A Short Tour of the Universe. And if you want to peruse all of the previous sock-knocking blog entries, visit the Knocked My Socks Off archive. (links to another blog site)