Lilacs in the Sun, 1872. JPG Claude Oscar Monet (1840-1926)
Claude Oscar Monet – Lilacs in the Sun, 1872. JPG
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Painter: Claude Oscar Monet
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"Lilacs in the Sun" (by Claude Monet) was painted during the heyday of Impressionism. It contains all the features that are characteristic of this style in this era - the paint is laid down in bright spots, the presence of a broad stroke is mandatory, but the author pays particular attention to the balance of shadow and light. The painter tried to show us not just a branch of lilacs, he is trying to convey his impression of it. At first glance there is no one in the picture except the lilac bush, but if we look closely, we notice women taking shelter from the scorching sun in the shade of the lilac that is blooming.
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Description of Claude Monet’s painting Lilacs in the Sun
"Lilacs in the Sun" (by Claude Monet) was painted during the heyday of Impressionism. It contains all the features that are characteristic of this style in this era - the paint is laid down in bright spots, the presence of a broad stroke is mandatory, but the author pays particular attention to the balance of shadow and light. The painter tried to show us not just a branch of lilacs, he is trying to convey his impression of it.
At first glance there is no one in the picture except the lilac bush, but if we look closely, we notice women taking shelter from the scorching sun in the shade of the lilac that is blooming. It seems as if the lilac bush is trying to shelter the women who are hiding under it from the scorching sun. Their silhouettes blend into the landscape, so we cannot immediately find them. One of the women depicted was the author’s wife, Camille. The artist wanted to show us the main visual impression: the blinding sun, the play of colors - from the gentle green of the leaves to the purple and pink flowers. A fleeting scene from everyday life, which Monet captured, separates the viewer from the picture with a small foggy haze. This very haze tries to draw us emotionally into what is happening in the painting. This is all Monet is about.
The author began working on the picture in the garden of his home near Paris in 1872.
The first impressionist painting, which was brought to Russia in 1899 by collector Sergei Shchukin (he bought it from Durand-Ruel, Paris). Osip Mandelstam described his impressions of the painting in his work "Impressionism.
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Below this floral abundance lies a darker, more ambiguous area. The trunks and branches of the shrubs are visible, painted in deep greens and browns, obscuring much of what lies beyond. A sense of depth is created through tonal shifts; the foreground appears darker, while the sunlit blossoms seem to recede into the background.
The artist’s handling of light is particularly noteworthy. The illumination isnt uniform; it seems to filter through the foliage, creating patches of intense brightness and areas of shadow. This contributes to a feeling of warmth and luminosity, but also introduces an element of visual complexity. The overall effect is one of immersive naturalism, where the focus lies on capturing the sensory experience of being surrounded by blooming vegetation.
The absence of human figures or any clear narrative elements suggests that the work aims to convey a purely aesthetic appreciation for nature. It’s not about depicting a specific location or telling a story; rather, its an exploration of color, light, and texture within a natural setting. The painting evokes a sense of tranquility and quiet contemplation, inviting the viewer to share in the artist’s observation of a moment in time – a sun-drenched expanse of flowering shrubs.