AP Art History
PowerPoint Project
by Emily Burlison
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100 WELL KNOWN
WORKS OF ART
#9 Monet, Water Lilies
Interpreted Using
The
Feldman Model of Formal Analysis
Feldman’s Model of Art Criticism
From the work of Edmund Burke Feldman,
During the late 1960’s and early 70’s
1. DescriptionList the visual qualities of the work that are obvious and immediate.
“What do you see in the artwork”?
Include content and subject matter in representational worksInclude abstract elements in nonrepresentational pieces.
2. AnalysisFocus on the formal aspects of elements of art, principles of design.
“How does the artist create a center of interest?
How does the use of color impact the painting?”
3. InterpretationPropose ideas for possible meaning based on evidence.
“What was the artist trying to communicate”?
4. JudgmentDiscuss the overall strengths/success/merit of the work.
How and why has this work achieved cultural value?
Claude Monet Water Lilies, 1918-1926,
Impressionist Movement, painting
Giverny, France
1.DESCRIPTION
a. Painting
b. Oil on canvas
c. 86.2” X 237”
d. Water lilies in a pond
e. Horizontal, asymmetrical
f. Soft, depth
g. Follows the flow of the water in the pond
h. Objects grow smaller as the painting
moves back in depth
i. Blue green yellow red white color scheme
j. Appears to have texture due to paint
k. France-1920s (Giverny 1920-1926)
2.ANALYSIS
a. Monet’s pond as seen through his cataracts
b. Emphasis on the reflection of the lilies and the
color yellow
c. Harmonious and horizontally oriented
d. Looks like a small part of an actual pond
e. Mainly cool colors with a few warm ones, has
a natural light, reflects the objects on the pond
f. Deep and naturalistic depth
g. Dynamic movement from the implied
movement of water
h. Shading due to light, gives depth
i. Realistic proportions, slightly bigger than an
actual water lily pond, naturalistic depth
3. Interpretation
a. Created to inspire nature and give great
beauty to whoever views it.
b. The artwork shows how Monet loved
nature, especially his water lily garden.
c. The aim of his large Water Lilies paintings,
Monet said, was to supply "the illusion of an
endless whole, of water without horizon or
bank.“3
4. Judgment
a. What sets this work apart and makes
it worth studying? (Water Lilies at The Art
Institute of Chicago)
b. How does this work fit into the context of
what came before and after it?
(Impressionism Smarthistory)
c. How have critics, historians, and the public
reacted to this work? (NY Times Review)
d. How has this work changed the way art is
viewed? (Water Lilies at Musée d’Orsay)
e. Context with AP Exam: Link to AP Exam
Q&A
Compare and Contrast
Impressionism Essay
Claude Monet Essay
Khan Academy Video
Monet, 42 Amazing Paintings
Summary
IMPRESSIONISM
1865-1885
A style of painting in the 1860s's through 1880's; the
subject matter was based on the natural appearance
of objects, used dabs or strokes of primary unmixed
colors in order to simulate actual reflected light.1
Claude Monet, Gustave Caillebotte, Mary Cassatt,
Berthe Morisot, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir were
important impressionist artists.
Interesting Facts About Artist
• His mentor, Eugene Boudin, taught him the “en plein air”
technique of painting
• Served in the First Regiment of African Light Calvary in
Algeria for two years
• Was a student of Charles Gleyre in Paris
• Had two sons (Jean and Michel) with his first wife
• Attempted suicide in 1868 by throwing himself into the
Seine due to financial reasons
• His cataracts influenced many of his later paintings
• Died of lung cancer in 1926
His painting Impression, Sunrise hung in the first
Impressionist exhibit in 1874. Art critic Louis Leroy
coined the term “Impressionism” from the title of the
painting.2
References
1. Impressionism definition
http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/impressionism
2. Claude Monet biography
http://www.claudemonetgallery.org/biography.html
3. Water Lilies at the Museum of Modern Art
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object
_id=80220