Claude Monet was a French impressionist painter known for his landscapes. He started drawing when he was 5 years old and gained attention locally for his caricatures. In the same year, his family moved to Normandy, France, where his father grew a successful ship-chandelering business. Exposure to the constant fluctuation of the ocean and weather in Normandy developed Monet's skill as an artist. He began sketching the ships in the ports of Normandy, learning to capture the movement and texture of the sails and wind.
Monet became more interested in domestic scenes of families and gardens, often seen to be a celebration of middle class life. He eventually grew tired of this subject matter, known as "la vie modern" or modern life, and shifted back towards landscapes. During this transition, Monet became more interested in capturing the "impression" his subject gave him over producing edited replicas. He used wide brush strokes and color gradients to portray the sensations of his environment through color. Monet's most notable works, including "Water Lily Pond" and "Poppies," were after he transitioned to impressionism.
As Monet grew older, he began to repaint the same scenes to capture different angles and lightings. These paintings are displayed in groups, a notable example being "Haystacks" at the Chicago Art Institute, and showcase Monet's intimate knowledge of the natural world.
Both Jennifer Doudna and Monet drew inspiration from the natural world. Doudna's childhood in Hawaii exposed her to unique biome with lots of ecodiversity. Though she did not incorporate her childhood environment directly into her work on CRISP-R, it stimulated her curiosity in science when she was a child.
I am a huge fan of Monet, and I went to go take a look at the Haystacks again just last week! Monet truly did take a scientific approach to painting and you can see it clearly in this series. Through many many attempts, he learned to perfectly capture the way light affects objects and how to reflect that into paint. I think he is a perfect artistic example to compare with a scientific mind like Doudna.
ReplyDeleteMonet's work is fantastic but I had never heard the story of his artistic progression. It's also great that you bring up how two people in entirely different professions and time periods can both be inspired by the same thing: nature. I try to not let my day-to day experiences with nature go underappreciated and this post has really reinforced that.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading more about how Claude Monet’s upbringing influenced his artistic work, specifically in his exposure to the unpredictability of the sea. It was also interesting to read how his experiences led him to impressionist painting, ultimately developing the iconic painting, “Water Lily Pond”. Both Doudna and Monet demonstrate how childhoods can influence who we become, inspiring creative work across many different fields.
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