Monet at the Savoy Hotel and the London fogs 1899-1901

Khan, Soraya Farah (2011). Monet at the Savoy Hotel and the London fogs 1899-1901. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been an ever increasing interest in the relationship between weather and climate and how they are portrayed artistically. The representations of skies, atmosphere, weather, climate and climate change through a variety of artistic media have been considered thus far (Eliasson 2003; Olson et al 2004, Kunz et al 2005; Thornes 1999, 2008a, 2008b). Furthermore, there have been a number of studies that have contemplated the use of environmental art as a form of proxy data for past weather, air pollution and climate change (Lamb 1967; Neuberger 1970; Brimblecombe and Ogden 1977, Baker and Thornes 2006 and Zerefos et al 2007). Monet’s series paintings can be considered as another example of art representing aspects of the weather and climate, for example, when Monet painted his scenes of London, he would include the sun when it was visible or a representation of the sun when it was obscured, trying to illustrate the atmosphere, and thus the weather, in his paintings. However, Monet also reworked many of his canvases with the intention of reflecting how the atmosphere appeared on specific days from year to year, therefore it seems it could be concluded that Monet was consciously painting the climate of London as well as the weather. For this reason, the opportunity to deconstruct Monet’s representations of the skies in his London Series (1899-1905) could not have come at a better time.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

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