Monet's Haystacks @ Art Institute of Chicago
Impressionist king!
Claude Monet’s Les Meules à Giverny (usually translated to English as Haystacks or Stacks of Wheat) series of paintings are held across a number of institutions worldwide, with the largest single collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. He completed these over a long period of time, using the repeated subject as a way to capture the many variations depending on light/time/season.
Sharing the six that are in Chicago:
Kandinsky said that he was significantly impacted by seeing one of these haystack paintings: because his lived experience of seeing a haystack didn’t align exactly with his experience seeing Monet’s painting of one, the painting made more if an impression on him emotionally.
When looking at these, it’s helpful to think about whether you are getting the feeling of that moment - does Monet capture all five sense of that exact point in time (I especially think about differences sounds and weather)? Beyond those sensations, do you get the impression of how that moment might feel emotionally?
More:
Art Institute of Chicago’s digital publication about its incredible collection of Monet paintings and drawings
Read about Kandinsky from last time :)
PS: I am changing how I format these going forward so get excited for more!