Claude Monet's final works, the monumental water lily paintings, are not just beautiful depictions of nature but profound responses to the tragedies of World War I. Created as a war memorial, these radical pieces challenge traditional perspectives and reflect Monet's personal struggles, ultimately influencing future art movements.
Claude Monet, often criticized for being overly accessible or a "chocolate box artist," created some of the most radical works of his career in his final years. His last series of paintings, the enormous water lily canvases, are among the most popular artworks globally, yet they transcend mere aesthetic interpretations of his beloved garden. These works were conceived as a direct response to the devastating realities of World War I, serving as a poignant war memorial for the millions of lives lost.
In 1914, at the age of 74, Monet was a successful and wealthy artist, yet he faced profound personal losses. He was mourning the death of his wife, had lost friends, and was grappling with the decline of his eyesight. Despite these challenges, rather than retiring, Monet embarked on a revolutionary series of paintings that would define his legacy.
Monet's last works consist of eight monumental curved panels designed specifically for the Orangerie in Paris. Covering an impressive 200 square meters of canvas, these paintings envelop the viewer in wild gestural abstractions. Monet described them as creating "the illusion of an endless whole, of a wave with no horizon and no shore."
The installation of these paintings in 1927 was meticulously planned by Monet in collaboration with the architect of the Orangerie. The paintings were arranged across the curved walls of two egg-shaped rooms, with filtered daylight flooding the space. The sunrise hues were positioned in the East and sunset scenes in the West, allowing the nature of the paintings to change with the weather and the sun's position. This innovative approach can be seen as one of the first examples of an art installation.
Thirteen years before the paintings were displayed, Monet had declared his intention to retire from painting, claiming it had become "unremitting torture." However, a visit from Georges Clemenceau, a close friend and influential politician, reignited Monet's passion for art. Clemenceau, who viewed Monet's work as a vital expression of French civilization against the backdrop of war, coaxed him back into the studio, framing painting as a patriotic duty.
During the war, Monet was deeply affected by the horrors surrounding him. His stepson was at the front, and his son Michel was called up in 1915. The sounds of gunfire reached his home in Giverny, influencing his artistic response to the tragedy of the First World War. Following the Armistice, Monet offered two panels of his water lilies to the nation, which Clemenceau persuaded him to extend to eight.
Monet's ambition for these works was unprecedented. He aimed to create eight panels of equal height but varying lengths, spanning a total of 91 meters (300 feet). To accommodate this, he built a new studio that maximized light and space. Contrary to the myth that he painted exclusively outdoors, Monet often began his works outside but completed them in his studio. For these large-scale paintings, he worked on multiple canvases simultaneously, rotating them to capture the changing light.
Monet's technique involved applying thick layers of paint, creating a textural vibration that engaged the viewer's eye. He used short strokes of color placed side by side, allowing the viewer to mix the colors visually from a distance. This method resulted in a unique representation of the water lilies, characterized by simple strokes and a lack of horizon, which traditionally orient viewers in landscape paintings.
The absence of a horizon in Monet's water lilies creates a vast field of light, air, and water, leaving viewers disoriented and immersed in the experience. This disorientation mirrors the battle-ravaged landscapes of the Western front, where soldiers faced a surreal environment devoid of clear boundaries. The paintings evoke a sense of mourning, reflecting not only the loss of lives in the war but also Monet's personal losses.
Monet's declining eyesight due to cataracts further influenced his late works. His perception of color changed, leading to a predominant green-blue tone that differed from his earlier works. Despite these challenges, Monet's choice to work on a grand scale allowed him to express his artistic vision in a new, abstract manner.
After Monet's death in December 1926, the public finally viewed "The Grand Water Lilies". However, the initial reception was lukewarm, with critics dismissing the works as the product of an old man. Monet, once criticized for being too radical, was now seen as insufficiently innovative. The works faded into obscurity until the 1950s when a new generation of artists, particularly the Abstract Expressionists, rediscovered Monet's late works. They recognized the emotional impact and scale of the water lilies as a significant precursor to abstraction.
Today, Monet's genius is widely acknowledged, and the Orangerie stands as a testament to his artistic legacy. While Monet created what is often referred to as the "Sistine Chapel of Impressionism," it was the vision and encouragement of Georges Clemenceau that ultimately enabled him to realize this monumental achievement.
