| The urbanization of Paris, France by Emperor Napoleon III in the mid-1800s resulted in a myriad of social, political, and cultural changes and adjustments. Artists of this period were challenged to portray the reconstruction of their society and the tremendous impact that technology played in the everyday lives of its citizens. Impressionism was developed as a result of a group of artists rebelling against the traditional confines of the Salon while seeking to represent the effects of urbanization and mechanization. Claude Monet explored Impressionism through representing form as seen in terms of colored light. His chosen motifs gradually dissolved into abstraction throughout his sixty year career as he sought to depict the light that defined the object rather than the object itself. An analysis of a painting chosen to represent each decade of his painting career illustrates his style changes towards increasing abstraction. |
PDF Full Text Request