Monet, Claude. The Water-Lily Pond. Carnegie Institute: Pittsburgh, PA, 1920.
A limitless expanse of water lilies covers the walls of a room at the Orangerie in Paris producing a sense of awe at the culmination of Monet’s years of tedious focus upon his pond and the water lilies at Giverny: the Grandes Decorations (1921). Many people assume that his love of observing nature and efforts to capture the different effects of light on a setting, particularly the water in this case, inspired the enormous panels that create such an impressive effect. In fact, C.P. Weekes, author of The Invincible Monet stated, “Even his pictures, which to modern eyes appear the essence of romance, were to him scientifically exact reproductions of the effect of light on nature at any given moment” (Weekes 226). This study was a common theme in the multiple canvases of similar views as Monet explored the effects of light at different times of the day and seasons on the pond at Giverny, similar to what he had accomplished in other series. However, Weekes is wrong in his assumption that the Water Lilies existed devoid of any romantic influence. In fact, the reflections of the water lilies on the water are not a result of sunlight; instead, they symbolize Monet’s personal artistic reflection on his love for Alice Hoschede. Investigation of Monet’s progression, which focuses on the vast beauty of the reflection of the water lilies in his garden, proves that the loving relationship he had with Alice parallels his paintings, proving that this series was far from a simple study on light.
TABLE OF CONTENTSMurky Beginnings
Alice Brings Monet Home
The Garden of Love Flourishes
Monet Loses His Inspiration
Masterpiece in Memory
About the Author
Works Cited
GALLERY
Claude Monet
The Garden at Giverny
The Effects of Other Women
Monet's Faltering Eyesight
