Paris, 1863–1906

Claude Monet

Water Lilies

1906

Oil on canvas, 35 1/2 × 37 in. The Art Institute of Chicago

Look for the horizon: there is none, so the pond's surface fills the whole canvas.

Look at

• Every edge of the canvas cuts through water or lily pads.
• Reflected sky and trees show as soft blue and violet in the water.
• Lily pads shrink and flatten toward the top, which suggests distance.
• Pads and flowers are thick strokes of green, white and pink over thinner blue paint.

• Shown in Paris in 1909, in an exhibition of Monet's water-lily paintings.

Image: Art Institute of Chicago Open Access · Public domain