--- title: Top 10 Paintings | 'Water Lilies' by Claude Monet description: "Art of Fine Gifts: Today's blog takes a look at Monet's remarkably serene ‘Water Lilies’, and the garden that inspired its creation." image: https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hubfs/WA-TWM-136.jpg --- - [Home](https://info.flametreepublishing.com/blog) | - [ Contact & About Us](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/contact-us) T H E   F L A M E   T R E E   B L O G ![](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hubspot_Header_Layers-5.jpg?width=980&height=200&name=Hubspot_Header_Layers-5.jpg "Hubspot_Header_Layers-5.jpg") # Visual & Decorative Arts Blog # Top 10 Paintings | 'Water Lilies' by Claude Monet Posted by [Catherine Taylor](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/author/catherine-taylor) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Monet produced countless works that are famed and treasured the world over, but the series of paintings of water lilies in his **garden at Giverny** is what he is best known for. During the later years of his life, when cataracts were increasingly taking hold, Monet dedicated his life and work to his garden. He prolifically produced over **two hundred and fifty paintings of the lilies** that lay in his water garden there. He said; ‘I planted my water lilies for fun, when I saw all of a sudden that my **pond had become enchanted**. I seized my palette. Since then I have had no other model.’ ### The Garden  By the time of this paining, *c.* 1905, Monet was financially stable, wealthy and able to exhibit and sell his canvases with ease. During this time, Monet no doubt employed a team of people to help keep the gardens in shape, but he remained **at the helm of this horticultural wonderland** and therefore spent the last three decades of his life recording it and** experimenting with different views and techniques**.  ### ![WA-TWM-136.jpg](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WA-TWM-136.jpg?width=800&name=WA-TWM-136.jpg "WA-TWM-136.jpg") ### The Lilies  In this particular study, the lilies appear almost flat against the water. This shows a **rejection of conventional viewpoints**, adding a closeness and uniqueness of expression. This is also a study of the **movement of light and cloud**, which is reflected in his depiction of the water. His **compositions became complicated spatially** concerning the relationships of the **horizontals of the water lilies and cloud reflections**, and the verticals of the trees and the reeds, The **juxtaposition of those elements**, both real and reflected, further created the **depth and dream-like quality. **   **![WA-TWM-157.jpg](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WA-TWM-157.jpg?width=400&name=WA-TWM-157.jpg "WA-TWM-157.jpg")** ### Beyond the Garden and the Lilies     The number of times he depicted these lilies shows a determination to **experiment with and capture nature** in as many different ways, and in as many different states as possible. They were not unique in this sense; Monet also produced series based on  **Rouen Cathedral** and **haystacks** in a field near Giverny, capturing them in **different light, seasons and weather**. This shows a desire to capture the effects of the **transitory nature** of life, while combining all those motifs that he most loved to paint.    **Medium**: Oil on canvas **Dimensions:** 89 x 101 cm (35 x 39 3/4 in) **Location:** Private collection  *If you are interested in finding out more about Monet, then take a look at our book *[Monet: Masterpieces of Art](http://www.flametreepublishing.com/Claude-Monet-Masterpieces-of-Art.html). *Or, see great Monet paintings year-round with our 2017 *[Monet wall calendar](http://www.flametreepublishing.com/Claude-Monet-wall-calendar-2017-Art-calendar.html). ### Links - Take a look at [this article](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-features/11167000/Why-are-Monets-water-lilies-so-popular.html) on why Monet's water lilies are so popular. - See [Monet's page](http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/history-water-lilies-cycle) on the Musee d'Orangerie's website for fascinating details and insight. - Find out about The Monet Foundation's work and book a visit to the gardens at Giverny [here](http://fondation-monet.com/en/giverny-2/). **Check out all of the** **Top 10 Paintings blog posts!** - Top 10 Paintings | 1 | [*The Kiss* by Gustav Klimt](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-the-kiss-by-gustav-klimt) - Top 10 Paintings | 2 | [*Composition VII* by Wassily Kandinsky](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-composition-vii-by-wassily-kandinsky) - Top 10 Paintings | 3 |[*In the Well of the Great Wave of Kanagawa* by Katsushika Hokusai](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-in-the-well-of-the-great-wave-of-kanagawa-by-katsushika-hokusai) - Top 10 Paintings | 4 | [*Starry Night Over the Rh**ô**ne* by Vincent Van Gogh](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-starry-night-over-the-rh%C3%B4ne-by-vincent-van-gogh) - Top 10 Paintings | 5 | [*The Scream* by Edvard Munch](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-the-scream-by-edvard-munch) - Top 10 Paintings | 6 | [*Fighting Temeraire *by J.M.W. Turner](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-fighting-temeraire-by-j.m.w.-turner) - Top 10 Paintings | 7 | [*The Persistence of Memory* by Salvador Dali](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-the-persistence-of-memory-by-salvador-dal%C3%AD) - Top 10 Paintings | 8 | [*Nighthawks* by Edward Hopper](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-nighthawks-by-edward-hopper) - Top 10 Paintings | 9 | [*Water Lillies *by Claude Monet](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-water-lilies-by-claude-monet) - Top 10 Paintings | 10 | [*Ophelia* by Sir John Everett Millais](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-ophelia-by-sir-john-everett-millais) *Blog posted by Zara Gillick* Topics: [Claude Monet](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/topic/claude-monet), [water lilies](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/topic/water-lilies) ### Subscribe for email updates ### FREE Download [![FREE online magazine here](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/293166/284b0214-b58c-42d7-acb5-91f1fcd82c9c.png)](http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/293166/284b0214-b58c-42d7-acb5-91f1fcd82c9c) Download a digital magazine, Flame Tree Arts, with a special edition on **Art Deco.** ****![Flame Tree Arts Mag 01 cover resized 171](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/file-247369099-jpg/images/flame-tree-arts-mag-01-cover-resized-171.jpg) ### About us *The Art of Fine Gifts: *from luxury notebooks, foiled journals, art calendars, iphone cases, books and illustrated ebooks FLAME TREE Combines beautiful detail and exquisite craftsmanship across a range of elegant gifts. ![FLAME-TREE-Hubspot-Head.gif](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/hub/293166/file-398222920.gif?width=251&height=354&name=file-398222920.gif "FLAME-TREE-Hubspot-Head.gif") ### Stay up to date: ### Subscribe by Email ### Posts by category - 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