Water Lilies
Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926)

1914-26. Oil on canvas, 6' 6 1/2" x 19' 7 1/2" (199.5 x 599 cm). Mrs. Simon Guggenheim Fund

712.1959
Gallery Label Text
Monet's Water Lilies
September 13, 2009–April 12, 2010

The thick surface of this panel indicates the prolonged duration of its making. Monet worked on this and other paintings over a period of several years, building up layers of paint as he altered and refined the compositions. This ethereal image features softly flowing passages of cloud reflections amid a tranquil surface punctuated by pink lilies. The notably delicate palette of this painting differentiates it from others and suggests a silvery light suffusing the pond's surface. Since the 1890s Monet had indulged a passion for exploring a single subject in extensive series that chronicle its changing appearance at various times of day and in different kinds of weather.