Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Eyewitness: Monet
Nonfiction Series
For ages 8 and up
DK Publishing, 1992 ISBN: 978-0789448804
Monet had a fascinating life with many ups and downs, with poverty and affluence, successes and failures. All of these stories and the details thereof can be found in this excellent book which covers almost his entire life.
Almost every aspect of that long and full life is explored through Monet's paintings, the paintings telling the story of the artist. The book discusses the execution, the history and the significance of some of Monet's most well known and well loved works.
Monet's own significance in the art world and that of Impressionism as a whole is discussed and explained. On the pages on this book we also get to meet some of Monet's friends and fellow painters, and also 'see' the members of his family; thus we get an even clearer sense of what his life might have been like.
Throughout the book Monet's art is superbly reproduced in both black and white and in colour. In addition there are photographs of the period and photographs of memorabilia from that time. Reading this book is therefore like reading a biography, visiting an art gallery, and visiting a museum. The reader is both entertained and enlightened.