Understanding Monet's Technique: A Visual Guide for General Readers

The Magic of Broken Color

Imagine looking at a green leaf in sunlight. What color is it? If you look closely—really closely—you'll see it's not just green. There are yellows where the light hits directly, blues in the shadows, perhaps purple reflections from nearby flowers, and hints of the brown branch showing through. This is what Monet saw, and this is what he painted.

Traditional painters would mix green on their palette and paint the leaf green. Monet revolutionized painting by placing tiny strokes of different colors side by side—yellow next to blue, letting your eye mix them into green. But because the colors aren't physically mixed, they retain their individual vibrancy. The result sparkles like actual light.

Try this experiment: Stand close to a Monet painting in a museum. You'll see what appears to be random dabs of paint. Now walk backward slowly. At a certain distance—usually six to eight feet—the magic happens. Those random dabs suddenly resolve into shimmering water, vibrant flowers, or glowing atmosphere. This is "optical mixing," and it's why Impressionist paintings seem to capture light itself.

Brushwork: The Handwriting of Emotion

Monet didn't just apply paint; he developed a vocabulary of brushstrokes. Like a musician who knows when to play staccato or legato, Monet varied his touch to capture different textures and movements:

- Horizontal strokes for calm water, creating a sense of peaceful flow - Short, choppy verticals for rain, giving the feeling of falling drops - Circular swirls for foliage, suggesting leaves trembling in the breeze - Long, sweeping strokes for sky, conveying the vastness of atmosphere - Thick impasto (raised paint) for flowers, making them seem to burst from the canvas

In his late Water Lilies, the brushstrokes become even more expressive. Paint seems to float across the canvas like the plants it represents. The physical gesture of painting—the movement of Monet's arm and wrist—becomes part of the artwork's meaning.

The Evolution of Style Through Decades

1860s - The Foundation Years - Darker palette influenced by Realism - Smoother brushwork, more traditional modeling - Example: "The Woman in the Green Dress" shows solid forms, careful detail

1870s - The Impressionist Breakthrough - Brighter palette, elimination of black - Broken brushwork becomes systematic - Example: "Impression, Sunrise" shows loose, quick strokes capturing a moment

1880s-1890s - The Series Innovations - Focus on light effects over subject matter - Same motif painted multiple times - Example: Haystacks series shows how light transforms solid objects

1900s-1920s - Toward Abstraction - Forms dissolve into pure color - Brushwork becomes increasingly free - Example: Late Water Lilies approach pure abstraction while remaining rooted in observation

Reading a Monet Painting

When you look at a Monet, try to see beyond the subject matter. Ask yourself:

1. What time of day is it? Monet was obsessed with specific light conditions. Morning light has different colors than afternoon light.

2. What season? Spring light is different from autumn light. Monet captured these subtle differences.

3. What's the weather? Fog, rain, snow, and bright sun each create different atmospheric effects.

4. Where is your eye drawn? Monet used color intensity and brushwork to guide your vision through the painting.

5. How does it make you feel? The emotional impact often comes from color relationships rather than the subject itself.