Art Inspiration Mondays-Monet's La Cathédrale de Rouen

Mondays are typically the worst day of the week.  Besides having to get up early and be reminded of all the commitments you have during the week, it often seems like the whole world has Mondayitis, which results in a collective funk.  

I usually try to combat Mondayitis with a detailed to-do list and plan for the week, plus a long afternoon spent in Lindy or in our Scholarship room doing work while waiting for my laundry to finish

As an extra tactic to combat the dreariness, I am going to start doing "Art Inspiration Mondays."  Every Monday, I will post a new work of art and explain some of the background and importance of it.  

For some personal background on my art history knowledge, I took AP Art History in high school and it was absolutely my favorite course.  I applied to college as an Art History major, but have since decided that it is more of an interest rather than a career.  I am taking my first college art history class next semester ("Art History: Renaissance to Present") and hope to add an art history minor.  

Today's piece is Claude Monet's "LA CATHÉDRALE DE ROUEN: PLEIN SOLEIL, HARMONIE BLEUE ET" (ROUEN CATHEDRAL, FULL SUN, BLUE HARMONY AND GOLD)

It is an impressionist piece and one of my favorite works of art.  Monet created over thirty paintings of the Rouen Cathedral, all with different perspectives and at different times of day. (Geographically, the city of Rouen is northwest of Paris)

Impressionism emphasizes the importance of light and it's effect on the subject.  It is also not overly realistic, so it allows for more philosophical meaning than the concurrent Realism period, which featured artists like Millet.

I think my favorite aspect of this piece is the ethereal quality  and placement of the cathedral in the foreground, allowing the viewer to feel as if they are standing right beside the cathedral.  

Happy Monday!