'Monet: Itinerant of Light' with words and art by Salva Rubio is a graphic novel about the father of impressionism.

The life of Monet is told by him in this graphic novel adaptation of his life. From the fellow painters who would be his friends through life to the showing of their paintings at the Salon of the Rejected, this follows his pursuit of capturing real light by painting outside. His family life, and extreme poverty is covered as well as his eventual success.

Sharp-eyed readers will notice that illustrations work in some famous paintings by Monet and his contemporaries. For those that may miss some of them, like I did, the book points them out at the end.

I liked this version of a graphic novel biography and the art is really quite good.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from NBM Publishing, Papercutz, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I didn't know anything about Monet, other than his paintings, before going into this graphic novel.. I like reading biographies, but for some reason I could not get into this one.

I am a big proponent of graphic biographies, particularly when the subject's life is characterized by action or art, as with this pair. While a traditional text biography can quickly become overwhelming, representing life events visually engages the reader quickly. These two biographies are particularly good choices for a number of reasons. 1) They're names most will recognized but know very little about. 2) The art styles are appealing and reflective of the subjects lives. 3) The authors don't white wash. They acknowledge the mistakes these men made, the ways their egos hurt their professional lives.

This graphic novel is perfect for those who do not much about this beloved painter. For those of us who have read about his life before, this book offers an interesting medium to share his remarkable tale.

This was a great way to get a primer into the life and works of Monet - I knew sketchy details, but nothing about his personal life, and all the financial ups and downs they all had. The book cleverly and sympathetically adopts many Monet works - and many other impressionist techniques - to convey the story, and for a biography fit for a casual browse this brief look was just what the docteur would have ordered. Four and a half stars.

Monet: Itinerant of Light is a graphic novel telling us the life and story of one of my favorite artists, Claude Monet. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about his life or at least wishing for more background for his painting history, then this is certainly a good start.
Obviously by the very nature of it being a graphic novel, it can only go so deep as a biography as an artist. Even so, it does a wonderful job on the whole, with the writers and artists trying to help set the tone for how Monet was feeling during a specific time, based on the events occurring in his life. In this way they tied everything together, giving us one cohesive piece of work and (hopefully) understanding of the painter most of us have at least heard of.
EFA did an absolutely stunning job imitating Monet’s works, something I’m having trouble getting over, and thus feel the need to mention. His use of illustrations (again, in Monet’s very own style) to tell us the struggles and stories of Monet…it’s simply breathtaking. I can’t say enough good things about this or even the slight artistic choices he made throughout.
The author, Salva Rubio did a pretty decent job of presenting us the facts as unbiased as possible (which I know can be very difficult when writing a biography). While the way I’m describing it makes it sound dry, let me assure you that isn’t the case. Rubio simply isn’t passing judgment or praise on any of Monet’s actions, merely repeating what research has been turned up as facts (and doing so in a fairly concise manner).
I hope Rubio and EFA team up to create biographies for other artists out there; I would absolutely love to see that. In the mean time I’ll have to settle for simply being happy that this one exists.

Thoroughly enjoyable, not happy, but enjoyable. It’s well written, and the artwork is stellar. It’s interesting to see the palette choices. If you’re familiar with the artwork of Monet, you’ll see the paintings develop. If you’re not familiar with the life of Monet, you will be.

A graphic novel biography of artist Claude Monet’s life told as if narrated by the artist himself.

Monet is one of my favorite artists, but I don’t know that I’ve ever read a full biography on him. His life certainly fully illustrates the idea of the starving artist. It was full of heartache that was due to both his own poor choices and circumstances out of his control, and his road to success was long and hard. Monet’s story is also the story of the struggle for the Impressionist style to be recognized and accepted, so many other famous artists are in and out of the story. It isn’t a happy story or necessarily the story of someone you’d want anyone you know to emulate. (Monet was not really role model material.) But this is art history presented in an interesting format. It wasn’t a fun read, but it was informative. The best thing about the book are the various panels done with nods to the Impressionist style and/or famous paintings of Monet. Several of them are worthy of a spot on the wall themselves. I'd give the art 4 or 5 stars. The writing itself is good, but Monet's story is hard to read I had to bring the rating down to 2 stars. I can't honestly say I liked this. It was kinda depressing. I love Monet's art; but I now know enough of his story to know I really have no desire to know more. Again, that's not really the author or artist's faults, blame it on Monet himself. Due to some of the content, I’d only recommend this for those mature enough for it. (See note below for more details.)

Notes on content: Two minor swear words. There’s a scene with a man and woman in bed together, obviously naked in a suggestive position. Nothing is “shown” but it is highly suggestive. A nude female live model being sketched by art students is fully illustrated in one panel. Two affairs led to pregnancies out of wedlock. Monet’s home situation got very “interesting” for a stretch when he took in the family of the woman he’d had an affair with and the husband left to work in Paris (and Monet’s legal wife and kids are still around too). It is mentioned that Camille Monet becomes dangerously ill because of all the abortions she had (she eventually dies from these complications). Deaths from old age, war, and illness mentioned. Only Camille’s death is illustrated. It’s mentioned Camille turns to drink during a depressing period.

A lovely visual biography of the great painter Monet. If you know nothing about his career, or you are a lifelong fan, there is something for every reader. I enjoyed the style of illustration used as well as the comparison of the graphic rendering to Monet's actual works at the end of the book. A beautiful book to add to any collection.

Monet: Itinerant of Light is a graphic novel biography of the great painter and visionary Claude Monet. He had such a difficult and often painful life and seen backward through our lens from the future, it's amazing that he managed as much productivity as he did. The book was written by artist/historian Salva Rubio and was released 1 Nov, 2017 from Papercutz.

There's a lot of straight historical fact in this biography of course, but it's the non-judgemental sensitively handled human aspects of a complex man and the people in his orbit which lifts this book from a straight biography to an illuminating glimpse into the past culture and society in which he lived and worked. I think for most of us who are not completely obsessed by something, it's difficult to understand even to a small degree the mindset of someone who is. One of the quotes, directly from Monet himself, referring to painting the deathbed scene of his beloved wife, Camille Doncieux struck me deeply.

“ You can’t imagine,” Monet replied to me, “how true everything you just said really is. It’s what obsesses me, torments me, and fills my days with joy. To such an extent that one day, having found myself at the bedside of a dead woman who had been and still was very dear to me, I caught myself, as I stared down at her tragic face, casually wondering about the pattern, about the gradual loss of color that death had brought to her lifeless features. Hues of blue, yellow, grey? That’s how low I had stooped. It’s a natural reflex to want to reproduce the last image of the one who has just left us forever. But before the idea came to paint the features I was so deeply attached to, my natural instinct was to react to color first, and my reflexes were leading me, in spite of myself, to subconscious rote behavior that swallows up my day-to-day life. Like a beast grinding at the mill. Feel sorry for me, my friend.” (Clemenceau, G. (2010) : Claude Monet “ intime ”, Parkstone Press International, New York, p. 24).

Wow.

It is always fraught to use a visual medium to explain visual art. The illustrations in this biography are beautifully rendered by EFA and pay homage to (and mirror in many clever ways) the original subjects they depict. Many of the page setups are explained in the afterword: Monet’s Mirror:
Behind the Canvas. These pages (about 15% of the total content) give the background and supporting information for the graphic novel and also include pictures and biographical info about the artists and models whose lives Monet touched in his long and productive life.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated and (so far as I am able to ascertain) unvarnished and accurate biography of Monet. 112 pages, hardcover and Kindle/comiXology versions.

Four stars

ARC COPY..Gorgeous art style that reminiscence of both Monet's works of art/impressionism and other artists during the "beautiful-Parisian" time period. Very much dramatic biography of Monet's not so perfect-pretty life and the up and downs endured during his life and the social contexts of the artistic world (in particular the art markets/salons)

I know very little about "the art world," so I came to Monet: Itinerant of Light as something of a dunce, but I at least knew his name and knew he painted some of those pictures that were sometimes blurry or foggy-looking (my "artsy vocabulary" is obviously limited as well). But this book helped remind me of the little I had heard -- "impressionist" is the word for his style.

This is a graphic novel that covers the earlier (and more difficult) parts of his career, as well as his personal life at the time. I really liked the art -- the end of the novel explains how some of Monet's paintings were portrayed/given tribute to here, none of which I recognized (see the "dunce" comment earlier), but the illustrations were soft and detailed, with realistic facial expressions, and didn't feel "cartoony" to me at all (the way some graphic novels do).

As to the story itself, it's quite fascinating, though equally inspiring and heartbreaking. We see, over and over again, Monet's unwilllingness to compromise on his artistic vision for the sake of the "academics" of the day, and also his drive to be nothing but a painter and to master his craft -- paired with an irresponsibility with money which led to some fairly dire poverty at times. I also felt so bad for Camille, his wife, with the state of women's healthcare in those days (especially for those in poverty).

The framing of the story begins and ends with him as an old man, and so a large portion of his life is simply skimmed over at the end. I'm not an artist so I don't understand the artistic drive, but I still enjoyed reading about such a famous painter of the past, and his contributions to art.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

Ninfee e papaveri: anche chi non sa niente di arte (o chi non ama gli Impressionisti, come il Maritozzo) ha davanti agli occhi Il campo di papaveri o lo stagno ricoperto di ninfee, dall'acqua sempre cangiante, che ha occupato gli ultimi anni della lunga, travagliata, produttiva esistenza di Monet.

E proprio partendo dalla sua vecchiaia l'autore ripercorre questa esistenza: la passione folle per la pittura, la vita familiare complicata, la povertà, la brama di riformare un modo di dipingere ormai stantio, di creare una nuova via: la via della luce.

E gli amici, i nemici, i colleghi, che si avvicendano sullo sfondo di una Parigi, di una Francia ricca di talenti quanto la Firenze del '400, la Roma del '500, l'Atene di Pericle, attizzando il fuoco di una fucina di idee che cambierà il mondo dell'arte.

Sostenuto da tavole bellissime, che riprendono con sottigliezza e intelligenza dipinti di Monet e di altri, questa graphic novel porta alla scoperta dell'uomo oltre il pittore: un uomo che non si è sempre comportato al meglio (sopratutto con quella santa donna della prima moglie), ma che ha creduto profondamente nella sua arte, e non si è lasciato distogliere dal suo sogno.

Enjoyable book even for someone not extremely interested in the art world. I would consider myself to be casually interested. My only exposure to Monet has been a couple brief mentions in history lectures, the picture book "Linnea in Monet's Garden" and just the general idea of Impressionism and a couple of his most famous paintings.

I found this interesting and wasn't really aware of the drama that went into the beginnings of Impressionism. I really appreciated the depictions throughout of Monet and his art, in particular it was fun to watch for anything I recognized. Salva Rubio seems to enjoy depicting Monet creating his art, so, often in the background you can see the landscape that will become a painting. At the end of the book are some historical notes and the reasoning behind the order of the paintings along with a couple brief explanations for why some paintings are depicted in the wrong year. Because historical accounts of Monet vary, there may be some discrepancies which the author mentions. I think this book is very well suited for someone with a casual interest or someone who is more of an art history enthusiast who isn't too rigid. I love how graphic novels open up a whole new world to readers who may be more reluctant to read traditional books. I could probably even get a middle schooler to read this one.

You couldn't pick a better subject for a graphic novel. Love it!

Excellent graphic novel depicts Monet's life.

A fascinating chronicle that brings one face to face with Monet's life, his struggles and his achievements. I found the graphic presentation challenging at the beginning, the background coloring seemed to swamp things but as Monet's life unfolded I came to appreciate those shadings that seemed for me to reflect the stages of his life and along the way incorporates references to the styles of Monet and his companions in the search for a new way of seeing. The illustrating is fantastic. There's a richness that the artist EFA (Ricard Fernandez) beings to bear. I'm awed. Sometimes I find the comments in the word balloons a little stilted, but to me that always is a product of this medium.
Graphic novels are not easy reading. I find they require more concentration than the written word. What I really enjoyed was that this medium, by its nature is in the first person. The engagement with the story is just so very immediate. Monet comes alive.
I must say that I really enjoyed looking at Monet's life through graphic spectacles. Using the visual to explore the visual is brilliant.
This is not a scholarly tome although obviously based on solid research. It is a wonderful biographical investigation, a great addition for a collector of works about Monet, or a collector of graphic novels. I would certainly add it to a school library collection, or give it as a present with a difference for someone I know would enjoy it.

A NetGalley ARC
(November 2017)

I devoured this beautiful work done by Salva Rubio and Ricard Fernandez! Drawn to, deeply moved by and thoroughly enchanted by the Impressionists since I can remember, this graphic novel is a magnificent contemporary take on a period style of art that challenged the status quo of its own time.

Fully aware that liberties were taken with certain details, and art work pieces appear to represent atmospheric depth more than chronological veracity, the whole reading experience was a satisfying exploration of colour, the play of light, the power of friendship and love, and the tenacity of a man who endured enormous challenges to see the day when his artistic vision would be accepted and embraced.

Lush and gorgeous work done here, and I am very excited for the next collaboration done by these two talented gentlemen!

..Now...if you need me, I'll be hungrily poring through these illustrations a few (hundred) more times...it absolutely deserves a second, or third, or fourth, (or umpteenth) perusal! This was really a lovely piece of work! Well done!

While I was reading this memoir of the famous impressionist painter, Oscar Monet, I remember what my parents said when I was thinking of taking up BFA in college: "What will you end up? A painter? There's no money in painting." And that's what Monet experienced several times as a painter during that time.

Monet's life was never that easy ever since he decided to pursue his painting career. There were times that he can't provide for his family that he usually borrow from his good friend Bazille. Giving up painting always crossed his mind and just look for another job so he can able to support his growing family. Despite of these difficulties, those who can see his paintings will not see any trace of these — as a large number of his works are quite the opposite because they are picturesque, lively and rich in color.

If you know who this brilliant painter is and want to take a glimpse of his life story, you must check out this graphic novel because it provides us a vivid picture of it.

Great graphic novel about the difficult life of Oskar Monet, his struggle to invent something new, or as it was called: the invention of light. Very good illustration, some of which are based on real paintings of the many artist who where, for some reason or other, involved with Monet.

Bella graphic novel sulla difficile vita di Monet, la sua battaglia per inventare qualcosa di nuovo, qualcosa di diverso dal classicismo, o come si disse ai tempi: l'invenzione della luce. Le illustrazioni sono belle ed alcune sono basate sui quadri degli artisti famosi che, per un motivo o per un altro, hanno incrociato la vita di Monet.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

I was so excited to get an advanced reader copy of this book! This is how the biography of an artist's life should be done - gorgeously rendered in a graphic novel format. The illustrations are outstanding, and the pacing is perfect. The emotion is conveyed so effectively in the drawings, that the words are not absolutely necessary to understand the story being told.

I love this, the story and the section at the end with Monet's paintings.

Beautiful!