DATE: Thursday, July 31, 1997               TAG: 9707310075

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ADAM BERNSTEIN, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   58 lines

MONET BARBIE IS A WORK OF ART

ON THE FACE of things, Claude Monet, the leader of the French Impressionist movement, and Barbie, the voluptuous doll, might not have much in common.

However, toy maker Mattel has linked the two. For Hampton Roads, the news comes just in time for the Chrysler Museum of Art exhibition.

``Monet Barbie'' - officially ``Water Lily Barbie,'' named for the artist's water-lily paintings - is the maiden venture in Mattel's new ``artists series.'' Officially licensed by the Monet estate, she'll be available starting in September at most retailers, Mattel says.

She'll go for $55.

Mattel's straight-faced statement about the new doll describes it as being ``Impressionist inspired.'' The company hopes Water Lily Barbie will encourage a ``new appreciation for art'' among her young owners.

``We wanted to launch the series with something very colorful, very visual,'' said Mattel spokeswoman Sara Rosales, who is based in El Segundo, Calif. ``Monet was the inspiration behind this because of his use of colors and texture.''

Mattel's description of the doll: ``Glittering sheer pink waterlilies with yellow sequin centers accent the full skirt while translucent beads in blue and green tones cascade over her left shoulder and down the front of the gown.''

Confused? Well then . . .

``Think of a sorbet,'' Rosales explained, ``with all the pastel colors swirled around in your bowl. That's what the dress looks like.''

One Monet enthusiast, Deanna Griffin, an assistant in the European paintings division of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, said she was a little shocked by the description.

``Sounds more like Tiffany glass than Monet,'' said Griffin, whose museum lent three Monet paintings to the Chrysler for its exhibit.

Griffin's is not the only opinion in the art world, though.

``I think it's fun,'' said Jeff Harrison, the Chrysler's chief curator. ``Barbie has style. Barbie knows art. Barbie's visited Giverny'' - the town where Monet painted his water lilies - ``but I hope she doesn't wear heels, because it gets soggy.''

However, Harrison asked, ``Does Ken wear a beret?''

Indeed he does not, Rosales confirmed.

In 1996, Mattel netted $1.7 billion worldwide from the 100 Barbie varieties that debuted, Rosales said.

``Happy Holidays Barbie'' was the first doll in the limited edition collector's series. This grouping, to which the artists series also belongs, is a 100,000-run item.

The holiday doll, which first appeared in 1988 and could be purchased for $30, now fetches as much as $800 at doll shows, said Wendy Webster, president of the year-old Beach Barbie Doll Club, a 30-member group in Virginia Beach.

``I think it's pretty,'' Webster said about the Monet Barbie, not at all echoing Griffin's belief that the gown, just maybe, gilds the lily. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

"Water Lily Barbie"

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