Behind the scenes at Monet’s garden and house: The Impressionist legacy

Monet discovers Giverny (1883)

It was 1883 when Claude Monet first spotted Giverny from the window of a train. The serene beauty of the place captivated him, and he soon moved into a charming house with a modest garden. Little did he know, this peaceful corner of France would become his lifelong inspiration.

• Monet’s first garden: Initially, the garden at Monet’s house was a simple kitchen garden and apple orchard.
• A vision transformed: Monet, passionate about both art and nature, quickly set to work transforming the space into a magnificent flower garden. This became the legendary Clos Normand.

Monet’s life at Giverny (1883–1926)

Monet’s Giverny home wasn’t just a place to live; it was the canvas for his creative vision. He spent nearly four decades there, living with his second wife, Alice Hoschedé, and their blended family of eight children. The garden became his canvas, and the surrounding nature deeply influenced his art.

• The house of Monet: The house in Giverny became a personal sanctuary. It was here that Monet crafted some of his most important works, from the Water Lilies to the Japanese Bridge series.
• A creative legacy: After Monet’s passing in 1926, the house and gardens continued to inspire and captivate visitors from around the world.

The Clos Normand: Monet’s colorful garden

When Monet first arrived in Giverny, he inherited a modest garden. But he quickly turned it into something extraordinary.

• Designing the garden: Monet removed the boxwood trees and spruce trees to make space for his dream garden, replacing them with metal arches, still standing today.
• A palette of color: Monet carefully selected flowers—roses, tulips, poppies, peonies—to create a visual masterpiece. He treated each flowerbed as a painter would treat a palette, blending colors and playing with perspective.

The Clos Normand remains one of the most beautiful and iconic gardens in the world.

The water lily pond: Monet’s tranquil oasis

In 1893, Monet expanded his garden across the train tracks, where he created the serene water lily pond that would inspire his later masterpieces.

• The Japanese bridge: Monet built a Japanese bridge over the pond, inspired by his love of Eastern gardens. He chose to paint the bridge green to stand out against the vibrant colors of the flowers.
• Water lilies: Monet planted water lilies, saying, "I love water but I also love flowers." This simple choice led to the creation of the now-famous Water Lilies series, which changed the course of art history.

This water garden became a symbol of Monet’s unique ability to capture the fleeting moments of nature.

Water lilies: The heart of Monet’s legacy

Monet’s garden in Giverny was the core inspiration behind many of his masterpieces, most notably the iconic Water Lilies series. These paintings, created directly from the pond in his garden, pushed Monet’s art toward abstraction, using shimmering colors and reflections to evoke emotion and capture nature’s ever-changing beauty.

The Japanese bridge and other works

Works like the Japanese Bridge series reflect Monet’s obsession with capturing the interplay of light and water. His focus on these natural elements marked a departure from traditional landscape painting, paving the way for abstract expressionism.