The Bodmer Oak, Fontainebleau Forest
by Claude Monet (French, 1840 - 1926)
Painting
Named after Swiss artist Karl Bodmer, who exhibited a painting of the tree at the 1850 Salon de Paris, this great oak was revisited by Monet in the Fall of 1865. At the time of this painting, Monet was just beginning to embrace the tenets of Impressionism: the loosely-knit bits of color that portray light filtered through the trees and the stippling of paint through the use of many tiny brush strokes to convey a feeling of atmosphere and movement. These are techniques that Monet would explore and perfect in the coming years. 1865 was a time of financial turmoil for Monet and his family as the artist had not yet received the recognition that would lift him out of poverty. Though hardly visible after painstaking restoration, there is a slash in the upper right-hand corner of this painting. It is believed the damage may have been caused by the artist himself, in an effort to keep his landlord from seizing the painting when Monet was unable to pay the rent.
Page created on 8/22/2014 2:03:53 PM
Last edited 8/22/2014 2:03:53 PM