Monet’s paintings of French rowing and sailing boats, and the sea

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French painter Monet was clearly fascinated by both boats and the sea’s ever-changing mood and light

I’ve never been a great fan of the French painter Monet – I’ve often thought his work to be somehow a little unsatisfactory and even chocolate-boxy. But these images sent by my friend Ed have pretty well changed my mind. It’s difficult not to like the work of a painter so obviously fascinated by both sailing and rowing boats, but also by the moods of the sea and the light that plays upon it. Click on the images and decide for yourself…

Thanks Ed, for so painlessly changing my point of view!

Amazon offers books of Monet prints, but the one I’d recommend is the one published in conjunction with a Tate Gallery exhibition of paintings by Turner, Whistler and Monet. I went to the show, and at the time I was particularly bowled over by both the Whistler and Monet paintings of the River Thames and its ships, boats, lighters and barges of the time. And, of course, the famous Turners are even more mind-blowing in real life…

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