Monet to Matisse in Royal Academy: Art in Transition
In its latest exhibition, the London Royal Academy of Arts shows how the depiction of gardens has changed from the 1870s to the 1920s. We present the finest works from Monet to Matisse.
A walk in the summer
One of the most important impressionist artists is Claude Monet, who often found inspiration in his own garden in Giverny, France. "Woman in the Garden" (1867) shows his cousin's wife, dressed in contemporary fashion and strolling through the sunlit garden.
Parks as a source of inspiration
Auguste Renoir experienced a revival of green areas in Paris. Royal parks were reopened to the public, and normal citizens could afford small gardens. It was in the parks and gardens of Paris that Renoir found his inspiration - like here, when he portrayed his friend "Claude Monet, painting in his Garden at Argenteuil" (1873).
From Moscow to Bavaria
Wassily Kandinsky is considered the father of abstract painting. In 1909 his partner Gabriele Münter bought a house in Murnau, on Lake Staffelsee in Bavaria. The painter himself was born in Moscow - so the neighbors called their home "Russian House." The couple loved their self-designed garden, and Kandinsky included it in his paintings more than once, such as in "Murnau. The Garden II" (1910).
Under the Spanish sun
Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla is considered a "painter of light:" he knew how to portray the Mediterranean sunlight. Here he painted the Art Nouveau "Louis Comfort Tiffany" (1911). The viewer has the impression that Tiffany is taking a short break, sitting between the bright yellow, white and blue flowers of a Spanish garden.
Relaxing in the garden
"The painting looks just like a landscape, so also like a garden," says Ann Dumas, the curator of the London exhibition. Pierre Bonnard was inspired by daily life in Paris. In vibrant colors, he painted a young lady on a deck chair next to a richly-laid table in a garden and named it "Relaxation in the Garden" (1914).
Painters and gardeners
Claude Monet was always fascinated by ornate reflections in the water. His "Water Lilies" (1914-15) are world-famous. He had water lilies in his own garden and was quite proud of them. "Apart from painting and gardening, there's nothing that I'm good at. My greatest masterpiece is my own garden," he said shortly before his death in 1926.
The healing power of art
For Matisse, art was a way to portray inner visions and topics that preoccupied him emotionally. Contemporary art is mainly characterized by bright colors. "The Rose Marble Table" (1917) is one of the youngest exhibits at London's Royal Academy of Arts. The exhibition runs until 20 April.