Monet in Giverny: Landscapes of Reflection

This beautifully illustrated volume takes a fresh look at some of the most enduring landscapes painted by Claude Monet between 1883 and 1926 in and around his garden at Giverny, some 50 miles northwest of Paris. His depiction of sites in the surrounding countryside and of iconic garden motifs such as the Japanese footbridge, water lilies, and wisterias are characterised by subtle colouring and expressive brushwork, making these paintings among the most innovative of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as well as some of the most beloved masterpieces of French art. Unlike many recent books on Giverny that have tended to focus on planting and garden design, 'Monet in Giverny: Landscapes of Reflection' looks at the theme of reflection in all its forms, focusing on the garden as a continuing source of inspiration for Monet, as well as a reflection of his own theories on art. Featuring 12 seminal paintings from major collections, this volume also examines Monet's paintings at Giverny in the context of contemporary developments in art and photography. A first-hand account of the garden, written in 1891 by French author and critic Octave Mirbeau, has been translated for the first time for this volume by Benedict Leca, and is illustrated with 15 historic photos of the artist and his garden. Published to accompany an exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum, February 4 - May 13, 2012.

Table of Contents:
Foreword; Acknowledgements; Director's Foreword - Aaron Betsky; Catalogue Plates; 'Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Reflection in Giverny' - Benedict Leca; 'Mirrored Waters: Reflections on Monet and his Predecessors' - Lynne D. Ambrosini; 'Fragments and Reflections: Monet, War, and Ellen Johnson' - Andria Derstine; 'From Instant to Envelope: Reflections on Monet, Photography, and Time' - Beth E. Wilson; 'Monet and Giverny', L'Art dans les Deux mondes (March 7, 1891), Octave Mirbeau, Translated by Benedict Leca; Endnotes; Selected Bibliography; Photographic Credits; Index.

About the Author :
Benedict Leca is curator of European Painting, Sculpture, and Drawings at the Cincinnati Art Museum. A specialist in the art and culture of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century France, he is the contributing editor of 'Rembrandt: Three Faces of the Master' (2008), 'Thomas Gainsborough and the Modern Woman' (2010), and most recently the author of 'The World is an Apple: Cezanne's Parisian Stilllifes and Portraits' in Cezanne et Paris (2011). Lynne D. Ambrosini is chief curator at the Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati. She has organised exhibitions at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Taft; published articles on J.F. Millet, E. Manet, and F. Daubigny; and authored a catalogue of Rodin bronzes belonging to the Brooklyn Museum. Andria Derstine is Curator of Collections and Curator of European and American Art at the Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College. She co-authored 'Masters of Italian Baroque Painting: The Detroit Institute of Arts', and 'Allen Memorial Art Museum: Highlights from the Collection'. Beth E. Wilson is a Lecturer in the Department of Art History, The State University of New York at New Paltz, and a contributor to 'The Art Seminar: Photography Theory', edited by James Elkins in 2007.