Monet, Claude (1840-1926)
Le Père Paul
1882
Oil on canvas, 64.5 × 52.1 cm
Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
The light! The colors! Impressionist paintings seem to glow from within. Pink, blue and green stand side by side in many different shades. Up close, you can initially only see colored patches. Only the right distance creates the impression of a chef’s hat and coat, illuminated areas and shadows. Like all Impressionists, Monet does not pay attention to the neat depiction of real objects, but to the fleeting perception of optical phenomena. Paul Antoine Graff is depicted. He was a much-praised chef and owner of a small hotel in Pourville in northern France, where Monet stayed for several weeks in 1882. (Belvedere)
See also:
• Hautot-sur-Mer (France)