“It took me some time to understand my water lilies. It takes more than a day to get under your skin. And then all at once, I had the revelation – how wonderful my pond was – and reached for my palette. I’ve hardly had any other subject since that moment.”
– Claude Monet
Walking through a path in the woods at Monet’s home in Giverny, France, the forest suddenly gives way to a visceral dream: Claude Monet’s magnificent water garden. Its beauty and serenity are unmatched. This is the primary location where Monet spent the last 30 years of his life - painting his beloved water lilies.
Claude was notoriously obsessed with capturing the colors and atmosphere of his water garden, as it constantly changed throughout the days and seasons. His gardeners were sent out in wooden boats at dawn to meticulously wipe morning mist from the lily pads, so that when Monet came down to paint – he would not be distracted by their reflections and able instead to focus clearly on what he saw on, around and within the luminous waters of his pond.
Monet rose from poverty to become an acclaimed master painter within his lifetime, After painting and exhibiting “Impression, Sunrise” in 1872, Claude was also recognized as “The Father of Impressionism," having blazed a trail for a new and untraditional style of painting.
Yet in the end, Claude Monet passionately stated: “My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.”
Photo Credit: Carrie King
Location: Claude Monet's Home in Giverny, France
