THE CARDINAL

By Kerri Kane after Claude Monet’s The Magpie
October 2018

Acrylic paints on stretched canvas.

Between 1867 and 1893, Monet and fellow Impressionists painted hundreds of landscapes illustrating the natural effect of snow. Art historians believe that a series of severe winters in France contributed to an increase in the number of winter landscapes produced by Impressionists during this time. The Magpie features one of the first examples of Monet’s use of colored shadows to represent the changing conditions of light and shadow in nature, challenging the academic convention of always painting shadows black. The original oil on canvas painting measures 89 cm H x 130 cm W and can be seen at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

MY MUSINGS
I had fully intended to paint in the Magpie. Oh my gosh of course! However, as I painted I could hear the cardinals outside, not too silently, reminding me that they were hungry and the birdfeeder needed re-filling ❤ In this study, I’d like to think the magpie flew away just moments before, and the cardinal took its place in this choice spot.