Among all the things that make humans different from other animals, our ability to create art is truly special. Throughout history, from ancient cave paintings to famous museums like the Louvre, art has been a big part of human culture. One artist who stands out is Claude Monet. People often say artists like Monet have a “unique eye,” and Monet’s vision was indeed extraordinary.
Later in his life, Monet developed cataracts, which made the lenses in his eyes cloudy and yellow. For an artist like Monet, who relied heavily on color, this was a big problem. Normally, human eyes have three types of cells that help us see blue, green, and red light. However, because these cells overlap, our eyes are most sensitive to yellow light. Monet’s cataracts acted like a filter, reducing the blue and red light he could see and making everything, especially his paints, look more yellow.
One of Monet’s favorite colors was a blue called French aquamarine. But because of his cataracts, this blue, along with reds, appeared muted, making his paintings look more yellow. We can see this change in his artwork because he painted the same scenes at different times in his life, and the effects of his cataracts are noticeable.
Computer simulations show us how Monet’s vision might have been impaired. Paintings that look different to us would have looked the same to him. He might have painted from memory or simply expressed his feelings on the canvas. The hardest part for Monet was knowing he couldn’t see the world as he once did, which must have been very difficult for him. In 1923, his cataracts became so severe that he decided to have surgery to remove the lens from his right eye.
After the surgery, Monet’s vision changed. Normally, humans can’t see light shorter than about 390 nanometers, but our blue cone cells can detect light down to 300 nanometers, which includes some ultraviolet light. Without the lens in his right eye, Monet could see a bit like a honeybee. His blues appeared more vibrant, and his whites were beyond what most people could imagine.
Around 1924, Monet painted the same scene behind his house twice, once with each eye closed. Through his cataract-clouded left eye, the world looked muddy and yellow, while through his lensless right eye, it appeared brilliant blue and violet. Sadly, Monet never fully adjusted to this new way of seeing. He destroyed many of his later paintings and passed away just a few years after his surgery.
While we may never fully understand how an artist sees the world, the work of amazing artists like Monet becomes even more interesting when we look at it through the lens of science. V.S. Ramachandran once said that the purpose of art “is not merely to depict or represent reality, but to enhance, transcend, or even distort reality.” Monet did just that, perhaps better than anyone else of his time.
Stay curious and keep exploring the fascinating world of art and science!
Imagine you are Monet and create your own impressionist painting. Use colors to express your feelings about a scene rather than focusing on realistic details. Think about how Monet’s vision might have influenced his choice of colors and try to incorporate that into your artwork.
Use a computer program or app that simulates vision impairments to see how Monet might have viewed the world with cataracts. Compare how different scenes look with and without the simulation. Discuss how this might have affected Monet’s art and his perception of color.
Conduct an experiment with colored filters to understand how Monet’s cataracts might have altered his perception of color. Use yellow and blue filters to look at various objects and note how their colors change. Reflect on how this experience might have influenced Monet’s painting style.
Participate in a class discussion about the intersection of art and science. Consider how Monet’s work exemplifies this relationship. Discuss how scientific understanding of vision can enhance our appreciation of art and how artists like Monet use science to create unique perspectives.
Research another artist who had a unique vision or visual impairment and how it influenced their work. Present your findings to the class, highlighting similarities and differences with Monet’s experience. Consider how these artists adapted their techniques to their visual challenges.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Of all the things that set humans apart from other animals, our inventions and ingenuity, art might be the most unique. In the long history of human art, from cave walls to the Louvre, few can compare to Claude Monet. When we talk about what makes artists like Monet special, we say “they have a unique eye.” Claude Monet had a very unique eye indeed.
Later in life, he developed cataracts, which caused the lenses of his eyes to become yellow and cloudy. To an artist like Monet, color was everything, but his artistic lens was affected. Normal human eyes have three types of cone cells sensitive to blue, green, and red light. However, because their sensitivities overlap, our eyes are most sensitive to yellow light. Monet’s cataracts acted like a color-subtracting filter, taking away blue and red light and enhancing the yellowness of everything, especially his paints.
One of Monet’s favorite blues, French aquamarine, has a reflectance that looks like this. But his cataracts would have muted those blues and reds, leaving his scenes and paints more yellow. We can see this in Monet’s paintings because he painted the same scene at different times in his life, and the effects of his cataracts are evident.
Computer simulations of Monet’s impaired vision show that paintings that appear different to us would have been indistinguishable to him. He might have been painting from memory or simply expressing himself on the canvas. The worst part is that he knew he couldn’t see the world as he used to, which must have been devastating for him. Eventually, his cataracts became so severe that in 1923, he decided to have the lens removed from his right eye.
After the surgery, he experienced a change in his vision. Humans with normal vision can’t see light shorter than about 390 nanometers, but our blue cone cells are sensitive down to 300 nanometers, which includes some ultraviolet light. Without his lens, Claude Monet could see a bit like a honeybee, at least with his right eye. His blues would have appeared more vibrant, and his whites would have been beyond our imagination.
Around 1924, he painted the same scene behind his house twice, once with each eye shut. Through his cataract-clouded left eye, the world appeared muddy and yellow, while through his lensless right eye, it was brilliant blue and violet. Unfortunately, Monet never fully adjusted to this new way of seeing. He destroyed many of his later works and passed away just a few years after having the cataract removed.
While we can’t fully understand how an artist perceives the world, the works of incredible artists like Monet become even more fascinating when viewed through the lens of science. V.S. Ramachandran once said that the purpose of art “is not merely to depict or represent reality, but to enhance, transcend, or even distort reality.” Monet did just that, transcending and distorting reality perhaps better than anyone else of his time.
Stay curious. Click on my logo to subscribe, and special thanks to Austin’s new children’s museum, where science and families can play side by side.
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This version removes any inappropriate or informal language while maintaining the essence of the original content.
Art – The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. – The art gallery displayed a variety of paintings that showcased the artists’ unique styles and techniques.
Vision – The ability to see; the faculty of sight. – The scientist’s vision for the future of technology inspired many young inventors.
Color – The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light. – The artist used vibrant colors to convey emotions in her painting.
Cataracts – A medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision. – The scientist explained how cataracts can affect an artist’s ability to perceive colors accurately.
Paintings – Works of art created using paint on a surface such as canvas, paper, or a wall. – The museum featured paintings from the Renaissance period, highlighting the evolution of artistic techniques.
Light – The natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. – In science class, we learned how light can affect the colors we see in a painting.
Science – The systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. – Science helps us understand the chemical reactions that create different pigments in art.
Creativity – The use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness. – The student’s creativity shone through in her science project, which combined art and technology.
Emotions – Strong feelings deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. – The artist’s work was praised for its ability to evoke deep emotions in viewers.
Perception – The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses. – The scientist studied how perception of color can change under different lighting conditions.
