You'll understand, I'm sure that I'm chasing the merest sliver of color. It's my own fault. I want to grasp the intangible. It's terrible how the light runs out. Color, any color, lasts a second, sometimes 3 or 4 minutes at most. Claude Monet More Quotes by Claude Monet More Quotes From Claude Monet Think of me getting up before 6, I'm at work by 7 and I continue until 6.30 in the evening, standing up all the time, nine canvases. It's murderous. Claude Monet evening nine thinking What is it that's taken hold of me, for me to carry on like this in relentless pursuit of something beyond my powers? Claude Monet relentless-pursuit relentless taken I intend to do a large painting of the cliff at Etretat, although it is terribly bold of me to do so after Courbet has painted it so admirably, but I will try to do it in a different way. Claude Monet different trying way It is only too easy to catch people's attention by doing something worse than anyone else has dared to do it before. Claude Monet easy attention people I have once more taken up things that can't be done: water with grasses weaving on the bottom. But I'm always tackling that sort of thing! Claude Monet done taken water Despite my exhaustion I have a devil of a time getting to sleep because of the rats above my bed and a pig who lives beneath my room. Claude Monet devil sleep pigs A good impression is lost so quickly. Claude Monet impressionism impression lost I've spent so long on some paintings that I no longer know what to think of them, and I am definitely getting harder to please; nothing satisfies me. Claude Monet frustration long thinking I have made tremendous efforts to work in a darker register and express the sinister and tragic quality of the place, given my natural tendency to work in light and pale tones. Claude Monet effort quality light I say that whoever claims to have finished a canvas is terribly arrogant. Claude Monet arrogant canvas finishing I've been working so hard that I'm exhausted... I feel I won't be able to do without a few weeks' rest, so I'm going off to see the sea. Claude Monet able sea relaxation It is difficult to stop in time because one gets carried away. But I have that strength; it is the only strength I have. Claude Monet carried-away finishing difficult Now, more than ever, I realize just how illusory my undeserved success has been. I still hold out some hope of doing better, but age and unhappiness have sapped my strength. Claude Monet realizing age success I'm not lacking for enthusiasm as you can see, given that I have something like 65 canvases covered with paint and I'll be needing more since the place is quite out of the ordinary; so I'm going to order some more canvases. Claude Monet enthusiasm ordinary order I'm going to get down to a still life on a size 50 canvas of rayfish and dogfish with old fishermen's baskets. Then I'm going to turn out a few pictures to send wherever possible, given that now, first and foremost - unfortunately - I have to earn some money. Claude Monet size money firsts I think only of my painting, and if I were to drop it, I think I'd go crazy. Claude Monet painting crazy thinking I get madder and madder on giving back what I feel. Claude Monet giving-back feels giving As for myself, I met with as much success as I ever could have wanted. In other words, I was enthusiastically run-down by every critic of the period. Claude Monet pick-me-up success running No, I'm not a great painter. Neither am I a great poet. Claude Monet great-poet painter poet I'm in a foul mood as I'm making stupid mistakes... This morning I lost beyond repair a painting with which I had been happy, having done about twenty sessions on it; it had to be thoroughly scraped away... what a rage I was in! Claude Monet stupid mistake morning
