The Impressionist Gardens Exhibition @ The National Gallery

I shall pre-warn now that this will no doubt be a waffly blog post, and I don't blame you if you skip it.  

Impressionism is my favourite style of art, it's not my only love, but it is my greatest love, as my all time favourite painter was one such artist...Monsieur Oscar Claude Monet.  To discover this exhibition was here whilst I was filled me with great joy, so I set aside a day that I would be going to see it, booked my ticket early to make sure of it.

Overall the exhibition was truly wonderful.  I don't go to galleries or museums anywhere near as much as I want to, and to be honest, have little real excuse as to why not...I mean, I live near London, it's easy enough to access so many of them!

Anyway, a little game I play when I go to a gallery or museum is the "take home" game.  The idea of the game is simple - in each room you enter you are offered the opportunity to take home ONE painting/sculpture/artefact/whatever, so which one do you choose.  What I'm going to write up next is what my choices were for each room...

Room I - The Fleming Room

The Curious One, 1823 - Antoine Pierre Mongin

I chose this one because it was a. very different from any other in the room and b. it was just so cheeky.

Room II - The Royal Bank of Scotland Room

There were several paintings I loved in here.  Simplicity of Daisies, 1892 - Gustav Caillebotte was simply stunning; The Fragrant Air, 1894 - Leon Frederic featured a young golden haired child smelling a flower in amongst a throng of other flowers made for a snapshot of idyllic country childhood; Lotus Lillies, 1888 - Charles Courtney Curran is a painting of Lake Erie in Ohio, where two ladies in their finest are gathering lotus lillies to make the wedding bouquet for one of them.

However the one that I would take home is The Artist's House at Argenteuil, 1873 - Claude Monet

I feel like I'm there, watching little Jean playing with his hoop, a glass of wine in my hand, passing idle chit chat with Claude, his wife having just come out to tell us she's put out some bits to eat. 

Room III

The Luxembourg Gardens at Twilight, 1879 - John Singer Sargent

This scene is so serene.  I'm sitting on a bench after a day wandering around Paris and this is what I am faced with.  I also feel like this looks like a photograph that has been on a slightly longer exposure - giving it a great feeling of movement.

Room IV

Portrait of Karl Nordstrom, 1882 - Christian Krohg

I love the stark contrast between the gentle pastels of the garden viewed through the window by the bold gent.

Room V - Wolfson Room I

In the Sunshine, 1897 -  Johann Viktor Kramer

Struggling to find an online picture of this but will scan from the book when back home. This was the only painting that jumped out in this room, however if honest, it reminded me of a country garden centre.

Room VI

Oh my...water lillies!!!  Four of them in one room, no less!

Of the four, two were particularly amazing, one painted in 1907 and the other in 1908.

1907

1908

I adore Monet's water lillies - how he made the same subject so very different each time.  Both paintings were so beautiful and awe inspiring that I found myself literally moved to tears.  I feel very humbled at having the opportunity to stand in front of such amazing pieces of art.