Stilll Life with Anemones Claude Oscar Monet (1840-1926)

Description of Claude Monet’s painting "Anemones"

Monet was a French Impressionist, like all his colleagues in the genre, who sought to capture the reality around him as fully as possible and transfer it to paper, for time is constantly flowing away and it is not in human power to catch it, unless with a brush and paints.

He began, however, with caricatures - he gained early fame with them and was very popular in his city. This period ended by happy coincidence - he met a mature artist (originally Monet disliked him in absentia) who showed Monet nature, directed his keen eye, attention to detail, ability to quickly grasp and faithful hand to capture something worthwhile. And Monet, who at first felt no awe of the world, began to realize through his own work how beautiful it was and to work at capturing it with the diligence and liveliness that had always characterized him.

"Anemones" is a simple still life of his, showing simple flowers. They are not put in a vase, they do not reek of the pathos of roses or the loftiness of hyacinths-they grow in simple pots, the soil in them moist and loose. The flowers themselves are colorful, bright, they stand out against a flat background of green, pale lilac, different shades of brown, like tropical birds in the forest of the middle zone.

They are painted with light, quick strokes, very accurately and at the same time a little carelessly, a few colors are cut off the edge of the picture, as if all their brightness could not fit on it. Perhaps the artist depicted someone’s small garden, which impressed him with its lightness and naturalness. Flowers will always bloom, even when the human world is gone, they don’t anger, slander, or lie - they just exist, delight in their beauty, delight in their scent.

A frozen moment with flowers that in reality have long since faded - "Anemones".