Friday, April 12, 2013

Color by Monet


photo Le style et la matière
At Giverny, Monet's house and gardens.

The text is below...

photo Le style et la matière

photo Le style et la matière


photo Le style et la matière

photo Le style et la matière

photo Le style et la matière

photo Le style et la matière

photo Le style et la matière

"La couleur est mon obsession quotidienne, ma joie et mon tourment."

Color is my daily obsession, my joy and torment.

When the undertaker draped Monet’s coffin with a black shroud in sign of mourning, statesman ,Georges Clemenceau, intervened saying,

 Pas de noir pour Monet, le noir n’est pas une couleur !

Not black for Monet, black is not a color !

He then went to the window, unfastened the old flowered chintz curtain with colors of perwinkles, forget-me-nots, and hydrangeas to spread it instead over the coffin of his close friend.

(as related by Alexandre Duval-Stalla in Claude Monet, Georges Clemenceau: Une histoire, deux caractères)





7 comments:

  1. Hard to imagine one of our "statesmen" of today making such a dramatic and sensitive gesture. Bravo Clemenceau! And Bravo Monet for inspiring such fidelity.

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  2. That is so interesting. Are your photos from a recent visit? I never got to go there.

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  3. Mlle P: Clemenceau was one of Monet's closest, oldest friends. Truly not a one-dimensional character!

    Donna, I was thinking they were from last year but they are from 2 years ago. I've been to Giverny many times as it is only an hour from Paris. Aside from Monet's house and gardens, there is a good museum of American Impressionism there too, now 'musée des impressionismes'- for your next trip plans!

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  4. The 4ième photograph I know well already, from a private message to help me heal from surgery, and I keep it fresh because it holds timeless promise of delight. Again you post an impression of France which binds the world to delight, and refresh everyone who passes by, as if this were so easy. It is, in all events, extremely sweetly restorative.

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  5. Thank you, Anon. It’s not so easy, yet it’s out there - as sweet as your phrasing! We need contrasts with the glum, grey morning news programs!

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  6. I posted a little national day/national costume something that was made more or less for you to see the textiles. Have a look over at my blog:)

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