Claude Monet Water Lily Pond Vase

Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926) was one of the founders of the Impressionism, which sought to record a moment in time through short descriptive brush strokes and generously applied color on site, rather than a faithfully detailed reproduction rendered in a studio.

Passionate about painting outdoors directly from nature, Monet loved seeing the way the colors changed with the light, and often painted a series of works from the same vantage point at different times of day. At his home in Giverny, he constructed a water lily garden and crowned the composition with a Japanese footbridge. In the summer of 1899, he began to paint a series of eighteen views of this scene, including the one we have reproduced on our delightful vase.

The lush greenery with the lilies in full bloom reflected in the pond invites the viewer to revel in the quiet pleasure of a summer afternoon with the artist.

Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies
1899
Oil on canvas