Water Lily Pond

Water Lily Pond by Claude Monet: In 1893, three years after buying property at Giverny, Claude Monet began transforming the marshy ground behind his home into…

What to notice

Move from the lilies and reflections up to the arched bridge; dense greens enclose the scene while vertical plants and horizontal water hold it together.

Discover

In 1893, three years after buying property at Giverny, Claude Monet began transforming the marshy ground behind his home into a pond, on the narrow end of which he built a Japanese-style wood bridge. Adding both exotic and domestic plantings, including his famous water lilies, the artist created the garden that would be one of his principal subjects for the rest of his life. Water Lily Pond was among the 18 similar versions of the motif that he made in 1899–1900; their common theme was the mingling of the lilies w…