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Monet's water lilies are the theme of the blockbuster exhibition now on view at the the Musée de l'Orangerie. This exceptional event, built around the magnificent eight-panel water lilies mural on permanent exhibition in the museum since 1927, reunites more than 60 of the artist's works from his famous Giverny water garden series. The water lilies constitute a cycle created over a 30-year period. These monumental works are among the most important donations ever made to the French state by a living artist. The day following the Armistice on November 12, 1918, Monet wrote to his friend Georges Clemenceau, "I am about to finish two murals which I want to sign on Victory Day, and I would be pleased if you would give them to the state." The completion of the huge water lily murals dominated the last years of Monet's life and they are often considered to be his crowning achievement. It's amazing that he was able to execute these splendid works while suffering from cataracts which had left him partially blind. Cataracts can obscure normal vision to such an extent that solid forms become a blur of color. However harmonious the paintings may appear, they were the cause of tremendous grief and severe bouts of depression to Monet who destroyed a number of panels and came close to actually abandoning the project. Only an "obsession" with his subject gave him the determination to persevere. In a letter to Geffroy dated August 11, 1908 he wrote, "I am absorbed in my work. These landscapes of water and reflections have become an obsession for me. It is beyond my strength as an old man, and yet I so want to render what I feel." At the Durand-Ruel Gallery in 1900, Monet exhibited for the first time paintings of the pleasant garden he had created around a lake with a "half-moon" bridge, water lilies and a willow tree, clearly inspired by Japanese gardens portrayed in the popular Ukiyo-e wood block prints. Nine years later at the same gallery, he showed landscapes reduced to a narrow strip of sky meeting a lake at the top of the canvas, with most of the space dedicated to water and water lilies. In these paintings, sunlight dances on water and wind rustles through clusters of aquatic plants, reflecting his direct impressions of the garden's dreamy, meditative atmosphere. The influence of Hokusai's "36 Views of Mount Fuji" that had inspired Monet to work in "series" pushed him further in his Zen-like contemplation of the changing light and colors reflected in the pond through his cataract impaired-vision. At his worst moments before finally giving in to a cataract operation in 1923, all he could perceive were vaguely defined shapes in a swirling, nearly abstract movement of color. And this is precisely what he painted, anticipating more than 20 years in advance the abstract movements to come. The art critic Félix Fénéon once wrote that "the word 'Impressionist' was created for Monet and it fits him better than it does anyone else." However, the most moving tribute was made by French president Clemenceau who was shocked when he saw the traditional black sheets that had been placed over Monet's coffin in his Giverny studio. Entering the room, he swept them away and tenderly replaced them with brightly colored curtains he tore from the windows. Somewhat appeased, he bent over Monet's coffin and cried "Colors for Monet!" Monet le Cycle des Nymphéas, through Aug 2, daily from 9am to 8pm, closed Tue, Musée de l'Orangerie, Jardin des Tuileries, 1er, tel: 01.42.61.30.82, Metro Concorde, general entrance fees:49F/34F. (Reservations are compulsory between 10am to 1pm and cost 55F; to reserve, call: 08.03.80.88.03.) Giverny Claude Monet settled in the charming village of Giverny in 1883. During his lifetime, his house and garden became a landmark that enchanted artists and art lovers who had the great luck to visit him at home. Through the efforts of fellow Impressionist Mary Cassatt, Monet's work developed quite a following in the United States. By the end of the 19th century, large numbers of American artists had actually moved to Giverny, forming an important artist colony that endured until 1920. Attracted to the light and landscapes in Normandy, and clearly inspired by the presence of Monet, these artists created a unique cross-cultural body of work. In 1992 the Musée d'Art Américain Giverny was founded by American businessman Daniel J. Terra with the intention of returning these works to the context in which they were created. "The City and The Country: American Perspectives, 1870-1920" is a fine exhibition that features urban and rural scenes created by American artists during travels in France and the United States. Artists such as Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer and Robert Henri are featured in paintings, drawings and engravings from the museum collections. "The City and The Country: American Perspectives, 1870-1920," to Oct 31, daily from 10am to 6pm, closed on Mon, Musée d'Art Américain, Giverny at 99, rue Claude Monet, Giverny, tel. 02.32.51.94.65. Giverny is less than one hour from Paris and can be reached by train on the Paris/St-Lazare-Rouen line. Get off at the Vernon station; bike rental, bus and taxi service is available from Vernon to Giverny. Monet's famous garden continues to draw people from around the world. At Giverny one enters Monet's universe: visit the house with his collection of Japanese prints, his painting studios and the garden, all carefully restored to their original splendor. The Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny is open daily from 10am to 6pm, Apr 1-Oct 1, tel: 02.32.51.28.21. |
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