Visual Art Paper 2 (Essay) WASSCE (SC), 2016

Question 8

Write on the life of Claude Monet with particular reference to:
(a)        nationality;
(b)        area of specialization;
(c)        associated art movement;
(d)       three characteristics of his works.

Observation

In view of the common lack of knowledge of arts traditions and artists outside Nigeria, this question was very unpopular among the candidates and the few that attempted it performed below expectation. Candidates should have highlighted some of the following points:
(a)        He was a French man.                                                            
(b)        He was a painter                                                                                
(c)        Impressionism                                                                        

(d) -     he captured the essence of nature using strong colours with bold and short
brush strokes.

  • - he deviated from blended colours and evenness of classical art using unbroken blocks of colour to create vibrant, but flat landscapes.
  • - he captured the dynamic change of landscape depending on perspective and light
  • - Monet focused primarily on scenes in nature.
  • - he also painted human forms.
  • - Monet has a lifelong interest in water and he painted it in all its forms, from turbulent rivers to the placid surface of his own lily pond.
  • - he did not use traditional chiaroscuro method, which creates a three dimensional effect using shadow and light.
  • - Monet avoided distinctive lines in his paintings; instead he used dots and patches of colour to indicate forms.
  • - Monet is also well known for his repeated paintings of the same object at different times of the day, reflecting the changes of colour and light.
  • - Monet used quite a limited palette, banishing browns and earth colours. He also used black, flake white, cadium yellow, vermilion, deep madder, cobalt blue, emerald green.
  • - Monet painted on canvas light coloured canvases, such as white , very pale gray or very light yellow.
  • - He used opaque colours.
  • - he often used colours straight from tube or mixed them on canvas.
  • - he also scumbled colours; using thin, broken layers of paints that allows the lower layers of colour to shine through.
  • - Monet built up texture through his brushstrokes, which vary from thick to thin, with tiny dabs of light, adding contours for definition and colour harmonies from dark to light.