Monet - Palazzo Da Mula

INTRODUCTION

In this paper I will describe Monet's painting "Palazzo da Mula, Venice." I will do this by first giving my interpretation of the painting while examining it close up and then give my interpretation of the painting while examining it far away. Finally, I will explain how the philosophy of impressionism is illustrated in this painting.

EXAMINING THE PAINTING - CLOSE UP

Upon first glance, the painting seems out of focus. The colors are beautiful blues but seem to flow together. With the colors blending together, it doesn't appear that there is much of a subject for the painting. Some archways stand out because they are highlighted with lighter colors. What appears to be water at the bottom of the painting seems very choppy and indistinct. From up close, this painting does not appear very clear and have a subject matter to focus on.

EXAMINING THE PAINTING - FAR AWAY

Just taking a few steps back to look at the "Palazzo da Mula, Venice", you can immediately make out that the paining is of a canal in Venice. The two gondolas' are projected into sight and appear to be docked alongside the building. The archways of the building appear clear and you can make out the detail of the building. The water at the bottom of the painting becomes beautiful. It appears that the sun is allowing the reflection of the building onto the water. From far away, the painting comes alive and is very distinctive.

HOW THE PHILOSOPHY OF IMPRESSIONISM IS ILLUSTRATED IN THIS PAINTING

Monet literally is the father if impressionist art. "Impressionism was a 19th century art movement that began as a loose association of Paris-based artists who began publicly exhibiting their art in the 1860s. The name of the movement is derived from Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise (Wikipedia, 2006)." Instead of painting an ideal of beauty that earlier artists had defined, "the impressionists tried to depict what they saw at a given moment, capturing a fresh, original vision that was hard for some people to accept as beautiful (MSN Encarta, 2006) ." They often painted out of doors, rather than in a studio, so that they could observe nature more directly and set down its most fleeting aspectsÐ'--especially the changing light of the sun.

The style of impressionist painting has several characteristic features which this painting exhibits. To achieve the appearance of spontaneity, impressionist painters used "broken brushstrokes of bright, often unmixed colors