Oscar-Claude Monet produced well over 2000 painting throughout his 86 years of life and a very long career as an artist. But it is his late works that he is most remembered by. He had a very hard time dealing with the loss of his son and beloved wife and spend endless days and hours in his french garden , in a town outside of Paris, painting his favorite willow tree and lilies. The exhibit that is currently on display at the de young museum until May 27th , features fifty Impressionism paintings from artist Claude Monet from 1913 to 1926.
At the first glance the exhibition may seem slightly one dimensional – focusing only on the master’s garden that he artfully executes in his signature bluish tones. But as you start your journey thru the exhibit, you find yourself in tune with his garden with each painting revealing a new perspective of his favorite subject – the garden.
Monet enjoyed his garden more than anything else. The willow tree and lilies were his most favourite subjects to paint. He could spend the whole day from the first ray of sunshine till sun down painting his favorite “Nimpheas”, “Pond with lilies” and old willows. Monet is said to have disguised painting inside, so when the weather was gloomy so was his mood as he could do not work in his garden.
Turns out Monet had troubled vision which explains the monotone style of his purplish and greenish paintings. It is the double cataract surgery on his eyes that changed his perception of ultraviolet into bluish and purplish shades. But aren’t those bluish lilies so gorgeous and convincing that one can easily forget that they are white?! Art curators of the world sure seem to appreciate it, in 2008 one of the late pictures of the series “Pond with Nimpheas” was sold at “Sotbis” auction in London for 41 bl. pounds!
Almost all paintings presented at this ehxibitcome come from private collections and are a real treat for anyone in San Francisco to see. I visited the exhibit with my kids and parents and everyone was in for a real treat.
“Monet: The Late Years”: 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. Saturday, Feb. 16-May 27. $20-$35. De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, S.F. 415-750-3600. http://deyoung.famsf.org