Monday, October 17, 2016

The Early Years

One of the many things we like about living in our new town of Ft. Worth, Texas is that we are very close to the culture district, where there is a whole array of wonderful museums. We had great museums in Houston too, but there we lived in suburbia... and going into town became a hassle.
This week we attended the new exhibit at the Kimbell Museum...put together by the Kimbell. It is titled: Monet, The Early Years. They have gathered fifty nine paintings from all over the world, of the first decade Monet painted, starting at age eighteen in 1859.

I am not sure if I am so interested in art, or claim to know anything about it, but I am a great lover of history.
I learned so many things about Monet. First of all is family called him Oscar, and that they cut him off financially when they found out his girlfriend Camille (who later became his wife), was carrying his child. He and Camille had two sons and she would become his model in a lot of his paintings. Some say because he was so crazy about her. Others say it was because he was too poor to hire anyone else. His friend Auguste Renoir even supplied the hungry family with bread on occasion, so they wouldn't starve.
Other things that I didn't know is that he was in the military for a short time, and that he also lived in England and The Netherlands. The above painting being the mills along a canal in Zaandam. Silly me, at first glance I thought it was Kinderdyke.

I have no idea if the exhibit will travel to other towns, but these works will be on display through January at The Kimbell.
Have a Nice Week!

10 comments:

  1. brings true meaning to 'struggling artist'.

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  2. I agree with Tex Janey, it does seem the way of artists. My niece who is an incredibly talented artist always takes the hardest road.. perhaps the struggle inspires them ☺

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  3. I agree with Tex Janey, it does seem the way of artists. My niece who is an incredibly talented artist always takes the hardest road.. perhaps the struggle inspires them ☺

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  4. I love Monet's work. There was an exhibit of his work here last year centered around his time living in Argenteul, France, and painting two bridges over the Seine.

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  5. I've learned new things about Monet from your post, Janey Oscar???

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  6. I always have loved the impressionists from a young age on. I had a poster of a Renoir painting above my bed. Monet I learned later, didn't know he had been in the Netherlands too.

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  7. Monet did some lovely evocative paintings of the Thames some showing the Houses of Parliament.
    Off to Paris soon, my son lives besides the Seine where Monet did many of his famous paintings.
    You are very fortunate Janey to have seen an exhibition of so many of his early works.

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  8. Dearest Janey,
    Most of those excellent painters lived a life of poverty. Even the Dutch Rembrandt... Sad fact but during their life time they often did not get appreciated for the genius they were.
    How sad for being cut off by your own family but I guess it is not the only case in history.
    Sending you hugs,
    Mariette

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  9. I would love to have seen it! Your interest in history should give you an even greater appreciation for the artworks that you see!

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