Claude Monet’s love of water lilies is well documented in his artistic output. Monet’s pond in Giverny became his universe during the last two decades of his life, providing the subject for more than 300 artworks. He became a master gardener, continually adding new specimens for artistic inspiration. (See Monet's profile in our series of Passport to Paris artist profiles.)
The team at The Shop at the Denver Art Museum is ready to recommend creative and fun gift ideas to take the stress out of shopping this holiday season. Find something for everyone on your list – all at a great price! The Museum Shop offers unique, artistic merchandise that will make any celebration a memorable one. Read on for suggestions – grouped by budget and who is on your list.
Gifts for Women
Claude Monet moved to Paris in 1862 and worked in and around the city for the beginning of his career, briefly moving to his family home in Normandy in 1867 due to poverty. In 1870 he moved to London to escape the Franco-Prussian War. He moved to Giverny in 1883 where he spent the rest of his life creating and painting his elaborate flower garden. Facing poverty most of his life, Monet traveled extensively in order to find new subjects to paint and widen the range of appeal for his prospective buyers.
Key piece to look for: Waterlilies, 1904
What fun it was to create the Passport to Paris Shop. I knew the three exhibitions in Passport to Paris would be fabulously rich with amazing artworks from the Wadsworth Atheneum, the private collection of Frederic Hamilton, and the DAM’s collection. I also knew the exhibition design would be stunning as our exhibition team is truly a group of professionals and artists in their own right.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner, and the Denver Art Museum is offering deals for members and nonmembers, in-store and online. In addition, our Member Holiday Shopping Event is on December 2. Members get special savings and can see Passport to Paris on a Monday when the museum is usually closed. Advanced reservations are recommended to see the exhibition, but members do not need tickets or reservations for the members-only shopping event.
Black Friday, November 29
The DAM is publishing a blog series that will highlight some of the artists whose work is on view in Passport to Paris. We will share a little about the artist’s biography and inspiration, and details about a key artwork in the exhibition. Check back to learn more about Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, and other superstars of French art whose work is on view in Passport to Paris.
Paul Cézanne worked primarily in Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France. He became a painter only after much disagreement with his father, who encouraged him to study law and banking. Although he regularly spent short periods in Paris, he spent most of the rest of his life in Aix and nearby L’Estaque, where he painted scenes from the surrounding countryside.
Key piece to look for: House in the Country, 1877-79.
On the morning of November 14, the Denver Art Museum offered media a sneak peek of Seen in Passing: Photographs by Chuck Forsman. A painter and photographer from Boulder, Forsman considers himself a “professional voyeur," someone whose job is to observe his environment with a keen eye.
November is proving to be a full month for art and activities that focus on our Latino community. Through art installations, brand new activity spaces, and live programs we are exploring where we came from, and where we are going.
Court to Café, part of the Passport to Paris exhibition, includes eight period decorative arts pieces from the Denver Art Museum’s own collections—seven furniture items and one mantle clock. When conservators examined the objects several months before the exhibition to determine if they needed treatment prior to display, they were pleased to note that the objects were in fairly good condition, requiring only minimal cleaning and some other minor and localized treatment.
The museum now has its own shiny, new Tumblr account, managed by our adult and college programs team at the DAM. Those of you who have been loyal followers may remember The Collective website, where we posted stories, creative challenges, pics, and more. That site lives on in a new (more nimble) form as the Denver Art Museum Collective. We’re excited to be able to bring you the very latest of what’s happening at the DAM and also interesting finds from artists and museums around the world.
Passport to Paris is a trio of exhibitions focusing on French art from the 1600s to the 1900s. The Denver Art Museum has taken advantage of this French focus to shed light on not only the diverse painting styles and subject matters of these three centuries, but also the furnishings and costumes that reflect the changes French society and culture underwent during these very distinct eras. What better way to create a sense of context than by surrounding the paintings, drawings, furnishings, and costumes with interiors and design elements that evoke the tastes of the time period?