Unknown Monet @ The Royal Academy of Art

Exhibition
March 17th - 10th June 2007

You don’t have to look far to meet Monet. His water lilies are so far flung around London’s myriad poster and print shops that this visionary of European painting has been cheapened somewhat by a rather severe case of over-exposure. The Royal Academy have put together a unique, non-drawling and inspired collection that reassesses this view entirely.

By revealing for the first time the painter’s pastel works and exceptional talents as a draughtsman, it reminds us of just how genius germinates. Showing the progression Monet took towards producing the great paintings we know so well, this exhibition gives something back to all those pieces we’ve seen a hundred times, and invigorates them all over again.

Opening with a selection of unusual caricatures by the teenage Monet and following with a number of his study works, the main focus of this exhibition would seem to be showing exactly what Monet didn’t want you to see. The man who went out into nature and was inspired to paint immediately couldn’t possibly draw, could he? Well Monet allegedly hid all these pieces away in his lifetime as they were a total contradiction to his public image (rather like David Cameron allegedly smoking skunk). Nonetheless these are fantastic pieces and clearly the work of an exceptionally talented draughtsman.

The real highlights of this exhibition, however, are the extraordinary pastel works on display. Most notably, three stunning pieces that have been arranged to show how Monet observed and represented, in three progressive stages, how light changes as night approaches. These sensational pastels, however simple in concept, give us an insight into how Monet, the master of light, began getting to grips with handling light. These tiny strains of genius which are in bloom in his famous works, and can be so easily taken for granted, are brought back into focus through this exhibition.

Aside from a somewhat dull series of reproductions that Monet produced for the press, this is a really lively and succinct exhibition. Quite often with ‘Unknown’ exhibitions, curators can drag out all sorts of uninspiring deluge to fill up the gallery but this collection has a clear sense of reserve. If you are out to see some big, famous Monets, then the final section features a number of his London works as well a few water lilies. These superbly bring together all the threads of Monet’s genius that are present in the rest of the exhibition and you can’t help but see them with fresh eyes.

If, like me, you know little of Monet aside from the pieces on display in a thousand and one boardrooms and middle-class bathrooms, then this exhibition is definitely the way to go. After this, you can’t help but approach him slightly differently, with a keener eye for subtlety and how much is actually going on in his works. Revitalising and sensitive, this is a remarkable exhibition that should not be missed.

The Unknown Monet: Pastels and Drawings
17th March 2007

Starts: 17th March Ends: 10th June
Prices: £8 full price, £7 registered disabled and 60+ years, £6 NUS/ISIC cardholders,
£3 12 - 18 years and income support, £2 8-11 Years, 7 and under free


Royal Academy of Arts
Burlington House
Piccadilly
London
W1J 0BD
tel: 020 7300 8000
web: www.royalacademy.org.uk

Chris Lord, MyVillage, 15th March