Grainstack (Sunset)

A detailed Summary of Grainstack (Sunset)

Impressionist paintings are put into a category based on certain characteristics. Such features include light that draws attention to objects, rough textures, and visual pleasure that the viewer receives upon looking at paintings. Grainstack (Sunset) by Claude Monet is a great example of this. During the time this painting was done, there were several disturbances going on in Europe, such as high rates of suicide and the creation of anarchist groups. It was during this time period that Monet wanted to establish himself as a great painter.

As the viewer looks at this painting, they are taken into a rural scene. The grainstack is the major object in the painting that the viewer notices first. There are several striking areas of light as the human eye moves around the painting. The sunset causes a brilliant display of colors around the scene. The sky is fading in the background as the sun sets. There is a small amount of blue still hanging in the sky, and under that a large portion of a yellow hue from the sun setting. As the suns sets further, it causes a pink color above the land. Consequently, the sunset has caused the color of the grainstacks to darken. It is obvious that the light left in the

scene is on the other side of the stack. There is a shadow cast of the back side, making the stacks top dark brown, and giving the bottom a dark red color.

When the viewer is looking at the painting, there are a few details that draw the viewer's eyes into the painting. The first detail is the low view point of the painting. As a person stands viewing the painting, they are lower than everything in it. It appears that the grainstack is on a bit of an incline, and the viewer is at the bottom of a small hill. From the bottom of the hill, the viewer can see all of the grainstack, the land behind it, farmhouses, and all the scenery. The view, however, stops on the right side of the grainstack. From the low viewpoint, it appears that the grainstack blocks the human eye from seeing the scenery except for the left side.

In the painting, there is an expansive view of the sky. The top of the grainstack only takes up a portion of the painting, even though it appears to be the largest part of the painting. The viewer gets a view of the bright colors in the sky that light up Monet's work. Also, there is a division between the two halves of the painting. The right side of the painting is also darker because the sun has already set on that part, which makes the painting more genuine and realistic. The colors almost keep the human eye to that one side so there is focus on just the grainstack. The shadow casts beneath the stack, dulls the colors in a diagonal pattern to the corner of the painting. The left side of the painting is much brighter and inviting. The sun has not completely set yet, so there is an array and mixture of color, which is a distinctive feature of Monet's paintings. From the field, to the mountains, and to the sky, attention is focus

Some common words found in the essay are:
Grainstack Sunset, Claude Monet, Monet Monet, Sunset Impressionist, grainstack sunset, human eye, draws attention, bottom hill, background painting, sun setting, viewer looks, farmhouses background, claude monet, painting viewer,

Approximate Word count = 1195
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts