Claude Monet, St. Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk

When you take the time to look at a work of art, do you really take the time?

Last week I was feeling tired and a bit stressed so I looked up “Monet paintings” on Google images. I’m sure you do that when you’re tired and stressed, too, right? Anyway, I intended to post a few of Claude Monet’s paintings here as a kind of stress-reliever for myself and you, faithful blog reader. But then I got to thinking (that happens to me once in awhile), “Why post a bunch of his paintings in one go? Doesn’t that just feed the inevitable scroll of contemporary online perusal? How about one painting per day for a week?! And then… then… (my brain needed to warm up some more at this point)…. then… I challenge the people who come to this blog to spend some time with that painting?”

I know – Brilliance, right? I am often amazed at my own insight.

So what I’d like to do is challenge you do linger with this painting. And, if you so choose, to linger with a Monet painting per day for the remainder of this week. Artwork takes on a whole different force of impact when allowed to work on the viewer for awhile. Some think you should sit in front of a painting for a half hour at least! However, this is not the painting but a photo of the painting and, really, I can imagine asking that kind of time commitment from you. But maybe you could take a minute? A full 60 seconds? That is going to feel like an eternity in this day and age of Tweets and Bits and Two-Bite Brownies. But you can do it. I believe in you.

So for this Monday I ask for a literal minute of your time. Let’s call it the Monet Minute for the day. I’ve posted the same image below now for you to give that first 60 seconds a try.

Have a less stressful and more peaceful Monday. Have a Happy Monet Minute…