Nymphéas (Waterlilies)

About the Art

Depictions of nature define Monet’s art. Initially rejected by critics and collectors in the 1870s, success and acceptance came within a decade. In 1889, Monet purchased a home and land in Giverny, 30 miles outside of Paris. He created a lush garden there and later, in 1893, acquired adjacent land to create a lily pond. He expanded the pond again in 1901 with the purchase of a contiguous plot, which allowed him to triple the pond’s size. The garden and pond were his primary focus during his last decades. Monet returned repeatedly to his garden and pond to study and paint the nuances of nature in different seasons, weather conditions and changing light.

Monet often worked in series, and he made more than 250 paintings featuring waterlilies. In this work, attention is entirely on the watery surface, without horizon, showing the waterlilies among reflections and refracting light. The suggestion of a shoreline around the pond is demonstrated by the tree branches that appear at the upper left.

FEATURED IMAGE
Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926), Nymphéas (Waterlilies), 1903, oil on canvas, 32 x 40 inches (81.3 x 101.6 cm). Gift of Mr. Joseph Rubin, 1953.11