Monet doesn't paint gods and myths. He painted haystacks, beaches, docks, these ordinary corners of life. The protagonist of the painting is nature, but mortals are like you and me, including his first wife Camille. He used a flat pen instead of a traditional round pen, and his brushwork was obviously rough, far less delicate than traditional oil painting. But with that kind of hard and rough brush, he can finish a painting quickly in a few hours. What he wants to present on the canvas is the sunrise harbor, haystacks in the sunset, water lilies in the breeze and tourists watching the scenery on the beach, rather than big empty fairy tales and characters, so he doesn't need to spend months sketching the sacredness.
Monet is most praised for his understanding and feeling of light and shadow. He can see the same thing presented in different ways at different times of the day. He is good at discovering different beauty from different angles. He wants to capture light and shadow and freeze it in his own pen. But light and shadow change quickly, how can we capture them? Just like a short life, no matter how hard you try, you can't resist the passage of life. When Monet realized that he couldn't catch the light, maybe he had doubts and sighs, but he didn't stop painting.
When Camille lay dying in the hospital bed, Monet picked up a brush and recorded the side of his wife he had never seen before, although he was sad. The light and shadow of death hung on his wife's face, and he couldn't help being fascinated. In his later years, he was almost blind due to cataract. He still stays in giverny Garden, indulging in capturing the myriad amorous feelings of water lilies and the myriad gestures of small bridges and flowing water. He can't see light and shadow, but he still feels the air, sunshine, wind and water with his touch, smell and hearing ... all his life.
In September, I saw the news that Monet's original Sunrise Impression was exhibited in Shanghai on my mobile phone. I couldn't believe it for a moment, and then I was very excited and excited. I didn't expect to see Monet's original work so soon. As a result, the waiting process has become particularly painful because of the epidemic.
When we set out, it was already December. Shanghai is bitterly cold.
The location of the exhibition is one of the magnificent western-style buildings on the Bund. The exhibition hall is not big and there are not many people. Monet's nine original works are distributed in different areas, and there are paintings by other painters during the period. After visiting eight paintings, I turned a corner and saw a few people gathered in front of a glass window not far away. This is the impression of sunrise in the spotlight. After waiting for about ten minutes, I finally stood in front of it. Through the glass, 50 cm away.
From left to right and from top to bottom, I stared at it. Does he draw the sun or the boat first? Is that sunrise or sunset? What was he thinking when he was painting? Did he ever fantasize about what this painting would bring?
I stood there and watched it for about ten minutes. Until a voice came from nearby. The silence was broken. The teacher-like girl came to the world famous paintings with Mai and a dozen children. So I gave up my position, walked to the corner, leaned against the wall and was ready to leave.
The girl's voice is crisp and passionate. She guided the children to look at the paintings and analyzed why they were not traditional palace paintings and why they were not popular. She described the storm caused by Impression of Sunrise more than 0/00 years ago, Monet's situation and the origin of impressionism.
Standing there, looking at those people and listening to stories from many years ago, I don't know why, my emotions suddenly welled up in my heart and eyes.