Art Essay 3: Claude Monet - The Path at La Cave

One of the first special event art exhibits I went to was the traveling collection of Claude Monet at the art museum in Raleigh. As soon as I entered the exhibit I knew I loved his work. The exhibit was designed so it displayed his work chronologically, so when you entered the exhibit you saw his early beach paintings. As I continued through I saw his style develop into what he is famous for today. There was one very large painting alone on a wall separating one section from another. It seemed curious because it was not one of his most famous works. It is actually one which is, many times, overlooked by those who study Monet’s art. This is understandable because at first glance the painting seems simplistic. There are lots of different colors, beautiful shading and brush strokes, and many different textures. But there is no real subject or focal point. As I have a tendency to do, I stood and stared at this painting for a long time, and after a while I discovered its value. It’s purpose is convey a feeling, and in person it has the ability to convey many different feelings. If you look at the painting from the left, the path seems endlessly long and the hill seems to block the sea. The impending journey seems agonizingly long. When looking at the painting strait on the path is friendly and open. The journey is still impending but not daunting. And when standing on the right side of the painting, I felt like I could almost see the ocean at the end of the path through the trees. So much of the art that is held in high esteem is that which conveys a subject or a specific meaning. But Monet’s ability to convey these feelings through flat canvas is incredible. I have a copy of this painting over my bed at home (with the ticket stub of the exhibit stuck in the corner of the frame), and while it’s not the same, I smile every time I see it. It remains one of my favorite paintings because it was one of my first truly personal experiences with art. Since visiting this exhibit, I have loved Monet, as well as many other impressionists. Whenever I visit art museums I am drawn to artists such as Monet, Degas, Manet, Pissaro and Renoir. Their focus on color and movement holds a beauty for me that no other style has yet to top.