From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-- One of the more successful books in this series. Venezia offers fine reproductions of full-color paintings judiciously arranged. They not only capture attention with splendid water scenes and a few portraits, but also demonstrate the developing techniques of impressionism and show examples of the haystacks and water lilies that occupied Monet's last years. Venezia still seeks a youthful idiom, using the word "fun" to explain why artists paint and, again, describing the "fun" of painting outdoors. Half a dozen cartoons with slapstick humor are interjected in the book in an effort to show readers that art can be "fun" for them too. However, such lighthearted hooks are more subdued than in earlier books and, in Monet , might be dispensed with altogether, for the paintings are grand, and Venezia has developed a sure feeling for pace and tone in moving from picture to picture to carry out his intent of explaining who Monet was, how he lived, and why it is that he is, indeed, one of the world's greatest artists. Christine Bjork's Linnea in Monet's Garden (Farrar, 1987) is still beyond compare as an introduction to Monet's mature work, but Venezia's book is directed to a slightly younger child, who may then appreciate Bjork's description of Giverny even more. --Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Being the first American museum to acquire a Monet and now possessing a significant Monet collection, the Art Institute of Chicago is, not surprisingly, currently presenting the largest, most comprehensive retrospective of the artist's works ever staged. Distinguished art scholar and curator Stuckey has brought together from public and private collections worldwide works that represent every facet of the Impressionist painter's long career. In his introductory essay for this exhibition catalog, Stuckey points out gaps that exist in Monet scholarship, especially from the mid-1880s to the artist's death in 1926. A detailed, 71-page chronology including images of works by Monet's contemporaries, key Monet works not in the exhibition, and historical photographs underscores Monet's profound influence on modern art as well as art of the previous century. Above all, readers will luxuriate in the 161 magnificent full-color plates. Popular garden author Russell (Gardens of the Riviera, Rizzoli, 1994) highlights Monet's year-round horticultural talents and provides an ideal companion volume to the exhibition catalog. She traces Monet's purchase of the now-famous apple orchard site, his meticulous plans to convert Giverny to a natural, informal garden, and the recent, spectacular restoration. The nurseries from which Monet ordered water lilies and peonies, his "paintbox beds" for experimenting with colors, friendships with fellow gardeners Caillebotte and Clemenceau, and lively details of the day-to-day monumental maintenance chores combine with sumptuous color photographs of the restored garden, reproductions of paintings, and historical photographs to create a delightful publication. Monet's genius for using the garden as his canvas and immortalizing Giverny in impressionistic masterpieces is richly conveyed. Both volumes are highly recommended.?Joan Levin, MLS, ChicagoCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Monet is one of the world's most recognized and revered artists and the subject of numerous books. What makes this one unique and invaluable? Published on the occasion of the most comprehensive retrospective yet mounted of Monet's work, this catalog is stocked with more than 200 superb color reproductions and a 70-page illustrated chronology. Stuckey, a distinguished curator at the site of this magnificent show (the Art Institute of Chicago), provides an engaging, informative, and surprisingly detailed overview of Monet's spectacular achievements, incorporating the essence of newly available and substantial biographical materials, including a little known cache of letters. Stuckey has also included reproductions of many significant paintings unavailable for loan to the museum, making this volume the most up-to-date and complete guide to Monet's superlative oeuvre, hence its status as a Book-of-the-Month Club title and our strong recommendation for its inclusion in public library collections. Donna Seaman

FROM OUR EDITORS

In this volume from the Pegasus Library series on art and artists, the last major period in Claude Monet's career is analyzed. Having finally earned the money and gained the respect he sought in his early days as a struggling painter, Claude Monet designed and built the home and gardens in the village on the Seine that would be the site of the famous "Grain Stacks" and "Water Lilies" paintings that would secure his reputation. A good, affordable introductory study of the pioneer of modern art.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In May 1883 the French Impressionist painter Claude Monet settled with his family in Giverny, a small village on the Seine northwest of Paris. There, amidst the romantic garden landscape that Monet himself helped to design - including his own house and studio, greenhouses, ponds, and a Japanese-style bridge - the most fascinating and mature works of his last forty years came into being. In this volume Sagner-Duchting examines three important series that Monet painted in the immediate vicinity of Giverny: the Grain Stacks, the Poplars, and the Early Morning on the Seine series. In addition to providing a fascinating look at the influence of Giverny and its surroundings on his work, the author discusses Monet's innovative "open form," exemplified by the paintings in his famous Waterlilies series. With these late works, Monet diverged from traditional pictorial ideas and came to be recognized as a pioneer of modern art.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal