Monet : Impression, rising sun
From 31 January 2025 at Les Carrières des lumières
Discover the "Monet: Impression, soleil levant" exhibition in the Carrières des Lumières at Baux de Provence just a few minutes from our hotel
The end of the 19th century was marked by major changes. The industrial boom radically altered society and the countryside, both in towns and cities.
New technological advances, such as the railway and metal bridges, radically changed the way people travelled and urban planning. In Paris, under the leadership of Baron Haussmann, the capital underwent a veritable metamorphosis: from a medieval tangle, it was transformed into a modern, luminous city.
As the city expanded and modernised, artists were offered new subjects. The invention of the malleable tube of paint and the use of the portable easel enabled them to work directly on the subject, in the open air, which completely changed their approach. At the same time, photography, which had appeared a few decades earlier, revolutionised image capture and the way the world was perceived.
Claude Monet and his inspirations
It was against this backdrop of accelerating upheaval that Claude Monet drew his inspiration. The landscapes of Normandy and the Mediterranean coast, which he observed with remarkable meticulousness, bear witness to the diversity and richness of the natural world around him. Whether travelling along the banks of the Seine or painting from his famous studio boat, he sought to capture the reflections and variations of light in direct contact with the elements.
His travels across Europe - from London to Italy - broadened his range of colours and lighting effects, nourishing his artistic vision and multiplying his sources of inspiration. His fascination with Japanese prints, which he collects with a passion, guides his choices of composition and his work on perspective, adding a singular dimension to his style.
Beyond the moment
At a time when photography was establishing itself as an unprecedented means of capturing the moment, Monet strove to go beyond its precision to recreate its atmosphere and emotion.
The way he frames his motifs and captures variations in light and seasons, particularly in his series, can be seen as a foretaste of cinematic aesthetics.
Giverny, a laboratory for experimentation
At Giverny, his garden became a veritable creative laboratory, where he welcomed friends, colleagues and admirers. He experimented relentlessly, having designed the garden himself to make it a constant source of inspiration. A key figure in
As a pioneer of Impressionism, Monet was able to incorporate the transformations of his time into his canvases, producing works whose modernity remains astonishing. By capturing the atmosphere and sensibility of each scene, he continues to captivate and influence, almost a century after his death.
