The Magpie

LLA

June 17, 2024

0 Comment

The Magpie by Claude Monet

“Love Lost Adventure: The Lie” is filled with references to paintings, songs, and poetry throughout the book. Some are by famous artists, and some are by local South Florida musicians. One such reference to a renowned artist occurred in Chapter 21: It’s Him, when Teddy was staring out the window in the airport at the snow-covered drifts.

I have the sensation that I’m the magpie in Monet’s painting,” she said with a happy sigh, remembering the tiny bird sitting on a crooked fence in the vast French countryside of Étretat, surrounded by pale, luminous colors and lots of snow.” – scene from LLA

The Magpie (1868-1869) is one of approximately 140 snowscapes produced by Monet. This beautiful oil-on-canvas landscape painting was created during the winter of 1868–1869 near the commune of Étretat in Normandy. Monet’s innovative use of light and color, including colored shadows, led to its rejection by the Paris Salon in 1869. However, today, art historians consider it one of Monet’s best snowscape paintings¹. The canvas depicts a solitary black magpie perched on a gate formed in a wattle fence, with sunlight creating blue shadows on freshly fallen snow. This work is notable for its early use of colored shadows, challenging the academic convention of painting shadows black². The painting is now part of the Musée d’Orsay’s permanent collection and remains popular among art enthusiasts³.

This fabulous painting spoke to my heart as I wrote about the winter scene, and I hope you enjoyed it, too.