Paris | Sunrise and Sunset in Monet's Monumental "Water Lilies"

Only the "Water Lilies" at the Musée de l'Orangerie are truly Monet's "Nymphéas". 🎨 From the late 1890s to his death in 1926 at the age of 86, Claude Monet spent over 30 years creating the "Les Nymphéas" series. 🌹 In 1918, at the end of World War I, Monet intended to give France a real monument to peace, and later chose the "Orangerie" to house these eight monumental "Water Lilies" paintings donated to the nation. 🌅 These eight "Water Lilies" are among the largest and most monumental works of painting in the first half of the 20th century, covering an area of 200 square meters (2,153 square feet). These works are assembled from various panels placed side by side. The paintings were displayed according to Monet's ideas, in collaboration with architect Camille Lefèvre and French politician Georges Clemenceau. Camille Lefèvre planned the form, volume, positioning, rhythm, and space between the panels. Visitors experience an unguided journey through several entrances in the rooms. When the sun rises, daylight floods the space from above, or when the sun is covered by clouds, the daylight is more subdued, allowing the paintings to resonate with the weather. 🌤️ The paintings and their layout echo the architectural orientation, as the scenes with sunrise tones are positioned in the east, and those with sunset tones in the west. Thus, the representation of the continuum of time and space is embodied. Surrounded by water scenes dotted with reflections of water lilies, willow branches, trees, and clouds, Monet aimed to create "an illusion of an endless whole, without horizon or waves on the shore." 🌊 Thus, eight panels, each two meters high and with a total length of 91 meters, are displayed in two oval rooms, forming an infinite symbol. This almost seamless panoramic arrangement envelops the viewer within the two oval rooms. The interior lighting of the exhibition hall is achieved through a glass canopy, immersing visitors in a state of "elegance." 🌟 #1PersonVisits100Exhibitions 26 #FromMonetVanGoghToPicasso #Penfolds2025 #TodayIAmAnExhibitionist #ExhibitionWorthSeeing #ArtAppreciation #ModernistArt #MonetWaterLilies #MuséeDeLOrangerie