Plein-air Painting in Giverny
DURATION: 8 hours
PRICE: €1200 per group with transport
The Impressionist painter Claude Monet’s (1840-1926) career is intimately entwined with the course of the river Seine. He grew up in Honfleur where the river meets the English Channel, then settled at various locations upstream, including Argenteuil and Paris, before finally settling in the Normandy village of Giverny where he passed the last forty years of his life. By this time he was beginning to make a name for himself after many years of arduous struggle.
Although there are no actual canvases in Giverny (these are to be found in abundance at the Musées d’Orsay and Marmottan, in Paris) it can be said that the construction, layout and nurture of his gardens was as much a part of the artist’s work as his paintings. A visit to Giverny offers an insight into Monet’s development in this fruitful period of his life when he was able to fully realise his aesthetic ambitions.
After visiting the house and gardens, the group will set up easels in the countryside around the village which has changed very little since Monet’s time. A practical exercise in the impressionist manner of painting will further enhance an understanding of this essential movement in the history of western art. After lunch the group will visit the American Museum – a prestigious venue for temporary exhibitions focusing on the work of American artists for whom Monet and impressionism were a major source of inspiration.
This excursion to Giverny is usually organized with a one-hour painting demonstration by a professional artist in the fields around Giverny. For amateur painters, we can transform this into a true painting lesson (2-3 hours). However, this will necessitate shaving time off lunch or perhaps picnicking in the fields instead. Please let us know whether you prefer the demonstration or lesson.