FOR EWORD
Viewing John Myatt’s artwork is like peering into the hearts and minds of the masters. Anyone would say the likeness is uncanny. But his talent extends far beyond its extrinsic magnificence. It’s a visual ode—an illustrative love letter to the craft, showcasing years of graft, gusto, and uninhibited dedication.The latest addition to his Genuine Fakes collection is no exception. Monet in Venice sees Myatt emulate the themes of one of the most revered Impressionist artists in history, Claude Monet, during a time considered to be the last of his great painting campaigns. To fully immerse himself into Monet’s lived experience, Myatt travelled to Venice to capture the city’s historic beauty.“It was one of the most exceptional painting expeditions I’ve ever undertaken, like a dream,” he remarked.“It is one thing to study Monet’s painting first-hand, in a gallery perhaps, and look at the way he blended colour and tone. But it’s something else to stand where he stood and see what he saw and painted.” In Venice, Myatt stayed in a hotel that shares the view Monet himself would have had of the city during his time there, allowing the contemporary artist direct and invaluable insight into inspiration that birthed some of the Impressionist’s most iconic pieces. Not without irony, Monet considered the original series of over thirty canvases to be a complete failure.“The choice of subject, and the framing of the composition added to the decorative use of colour, leaves many to doubt Monet’s judgement of these works,” explained Myatt.“It was the autumn light
reflected on and off the water that he was trying so hard to capture. Having been there myself, I know how hard this can be.” Despite its difficulty, the immensely skilled contemporary artist was able to interpret and produce five limited edition artworks that perfectly evoke Monet’s dreamlike aesthetic.“I believe Monet said that the light in Venice was different to the light anywhere else, and of course, that is the sort of thing an artist would say. But there’s some truth in that.” Myatt describes the bluish-green and yellow palette of canals fencing the Gothic-style buildings as being utterly unique to Venice, something he wouldn’t have believed unless witnessing it with his own eyes. “You see the colour of the sky and the water and the light caught on the buildings reflected in the canals.The Gothic-style windows play tricks with the light on the water’s surface as the sun catches it.To see that in light and shadow, well… it’s priceless.” Skyrocketed to fame by Pierce Brosnan in the 1999 film,The Thomas Crown Affair,‘Sunset At San Giorgio Maggiore In The Style Of Claude Monet, 1908’ is a perfect depiction of the elusive autumn light reflected across the Venetian Lagoon.‘The Palazzo Dario In The Style Of Claude Monet, 1908’ strays away from Monet’s customary focus on water as seen through his iconic Water Lillies series, opting instead to create balance between the canal and Venetian architecture. The contrasting colours and striking curves of the Neo-classical buildings gently reflect in the soft strokes of undulating water.
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