Customer Reviews

Monet: Catalogue Raisonne

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This is the most comprehensive collection of Monet's Paintings as its name implies. The handsome 4-volume set, published in 1996, comes with 2,580 illustrations in 1,540 pages.

Volume I is a complete biography of the Artist in details, that also contains partial correspondence.
Volumes II-IV catalogue 2,050 paintings, listed in Wildenstein Number in chronological order, with text in French, English, and German. Each entry includes:

1. Technical data ("W" number, title, size (in centimeters), and signature
2. List of Exhibitions
3. Exhaustive Bibliography
4. Provenance, detailing history from its origin
5. Brief commentary

Volume II: W1 (1858) - W968 (1885)
Volume III: W969 (1885) - W1595 (1899-1901)
Volume IV: W1596 (1900) - W1983 (1926), and the Donation to the Musee de l'Orangerie, Paris
Including in Volume IV: Exhaustive Bibliography; List of Expositions from 1858 to 1995; Index of Collectors, Galleries, and Museums; and Analytical Index of the Subjects.

Its previous 5-volume black-and-white edition cost more than US$10,000, and were found only in large museums or major universities' art department. This is the chance for any serious Monet fan to own this monumental work at a highly affordable price!

You may be wondering if the price is worth it. You may also be afraid that this is the typical catalogue that has mostly black and white images. Thankfully, 90 percent or more is in color, and the illustrations range from 3 x 3 inches or so, on to postcard and notebook paper size. About 25% or so are small images in color, but the first book reproduces many of these in larger format. The rest of the images are mostly 5 x 6 inches or so with quite a few being 8 x 10 inches.

The reproductions are clear and the colors are vibrant. For anyone who loves this artist, it is a great way to see some works that have never been shown otherwise. For those who need it for research it is a must own. Each painting is described and the previous owners listed.

All in all a beautiful 4 volume set that is mostly in color and large coffee table sized. Most of the major works such as his series of poplars, cathedrals and water lilies are reproduced in large size. The first volume is a complete biography filled with large size paintings, providing a better view of over 300 from the catalogue.

A wonderful way to see most of this incredible artist's paintings.

A must-have for any student of Monet. Volumne I contains covers his biography proper, while volumes II-IV provide a COMPLETE record of the artist's body of work.

Wilderstein protrays Monet life for the most part as that of a debtor. However to his credit, he tempers the romantic "suffering artist" idealism with insight into Monet the creditor. By illustrating what a jackass the artist could also be, the author creates a deep and lively narrative.

Most of the personal insight into Monet come to us by way of coorespondance with Alice Hoeschede. Due to 'appearances' however she requested of Monet her letters be destroyed immediately and thus we're sadly left with a one-sided portrait of the man. While his artistic talents we're unparalled, it's his devotation to correspondance that allows Wildenstein to bring him back to life. Without giving away the ending, it's Monet's inability to write rather than paint that signals the end.