Water Lilies (1919)
 | |
| Artist | Claude Monet |
|---|---|
| Year | 1919 |
| Type | Oil on Canvas |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City |
The Water Lilies is a painting by impressionist Claude Monet painted during his series called Water Lilies. The painting depicts a scene in a French pond showing light reflecting off the water with Water Lilies on the surface. It was painted in 1919 and as of 2012 is on display in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Genesis
The meaning of the painting is to inspire nature and give great beauty to whoever views it. It is one of Monet's larger paintings, meant to show off the beauty of the scene it captures. The sunset color reflecting off the water is one of the many aspects of his choice to make the meaning of this painting beauty and inspiration. The inspiration of nature that is shown in this painting is the water lilies and the greenery that are the main focus of the painting.
Painting
In 1919 Claude Monet was an elderly man who had already had been painting for almost 70 years. Monet's Water Lilies series came during a time when he had decided to only paint water lilies and water scenes. In 1919 while in near a pond in southern France he decided to paint a new painting for his water lilies series. He liked to paint when the sun or any type of light reflected off the water because it would create a kind of shiny and glittery scene. This painting depicts a scene around sunset where the light is reflecting off the water has a purplish red color while the water lilies give it a nice accent. It is an oil on canvas painting which Monet liked very much that gives the painting a lot of detail.
