In 1893, Claude Monet bought land adjacent to his property in Giverny, dug a pond, and turned it into a Japanese-inspired water garden. This contemplative environment served as inspiration for a series of paintings that occupied Monet's artistic production from 1901 until his death in 1926. Typical of his other paintings dedicated to the water lily pond, the subject here is not so much the flowers but the dream-like effects produced by light reflecting off this liquid world. Water Lilies was originally created as the right-hand segment of a triptych composed of three identically sized panels. Monet conceived it as part of a larger decorative installation intended to produce a soothing, meditative experience for its viewers. Provenance Inherited by the artist's son, Michel Monet (1878-1966), Giverny, France, December 5, 1926-1956; Purchased from Michel Monet by Galerie Katia Granoff, Paris, by June 1, 1956; Purchased from Galerie Katia Granoff, Paris, by Knoedler and Company, New York, stock book 10, no. A6418, as Nymphéas, July 20, 1956-March 20, 1957 [1]; Purchased from Knoedler by
Purchase: William Rockhill Nelson Trust
Image: Nelson Gallery Foundation