Claude Monet was born in Paris on 14 November 1840; in 1845 his family moved to Le Havre, where the painter passed his childhood, and he began to paint portraits and caricatures. He showed a big interest for the art; his first teacher was Ochard, pupil of David, but the teacher, who taught him to paint outdoor, was the famous landscape-painter Eugene Boudin. In 1857 his mother died and the painter went to live with his aunt. In 1861 he left to Algeri to serve, that was interrupted for illness in 1862. Monet came back to Paris and met Renoir, Sisley, and he joined the group of Impressionist. In 1865 he showed his pictures, for the first time, at Salon. On 26 June 1870, he married Camille Leonie Doncieux, who died prematurely. The word "impressionism", sarcastically given by a critic of art,came from one of his operas, he gave the noun at the new painter form and immortalized the artist. Monet became nearly blind, but he continued to paint.

He died in Giverny on 26 December 1926.

With the term "Impressionism" is a judge the current pictorial developed in France in the middle of the nineteenth century and it rose from the refusal of the pictorial traditions to subject classic and sentimental theories.

The impressionists painted "en plain air", that is to paint landscapes, scenes on the streets and everyday life appearances and they painted outdoor because they were interested in natural light and not about the description of particulars. They used primary colours like blue, red and yellow, complementary colours like green, orange, violet and they put in contrast them to obtain a good brightness. These characteristics were an innovation into the artistic panorama of XIX century.

The greatest exponents of that pictorial current were Claude Monet, Pisarro, Georges Seurat and Paul Signac and these last two elaborated the "Pointillism", a sort of scientific application of an impressionist theory of the breaking up of the colour.

It’s difficult to perceive emotions. It’s never simple to describe what a sing, a poetry or a picture suggest to someone.

Sometimes, when we look a picture, we think to be in front of a simple canvas, a mixture of colours join following what illogical procedures but if it was really like that, we would be insensible in front of these artistic works.

On 5 November ’04, the classes 3^Q and 5^Q went to Brescia, close by the museum of Santa Giulia, to visit the exhibition dedicated to the biggest representatives of Impressionism: Claude Monet. Through the painter’s personal and artistic life, we could understand the sources of his inspirations, what he wanted to express. Covering this way, it was like plunge in a sea of several emotions, a mix of wonderful lights and shadows that help to transfer the mind in a parallel universe.

We can describe a picture like a moment’s tale without any word. We can revalue the importance, unfortunately scarce, that the teenagers give to art, because it would be a wonderful approach for young public, a world not attended by them. We should try to see a painter like a musical star: we should try to "listen to" the form and the colours of emotions that the painter wanted to express, before judging the pictures just like a boring thing.

Only in this way the teenagers will love the art.

Have you ever had the same experience visiting an art gallery?

written by: Pasquale Agnello ( free6@itcgbianchi.mi.it )and  Fabio Matera ( free8@itcgbianchi.mi.it )