Spring is finally here! If you have a trip planned to Paris this season, we’ve got the perfect plan for you: a visit to the flowery birthplace of one of the most famous French paintings. Claude Monet moved into a pink house in the small village of Giverny in 1883 and lived there until his death in 1926. He designed the house’s gardens and planted every flower bed himself to match his coloured imagination. The gardens would become a great source of inspiration for his work and draw a lot of international attention to him.
A passion for Japan
The most well-known spot in the whole property would be the bridge over the Japanese pond, pictured in his famous Nymphéas. Monet was passionate about Japanese artists, such as Hokusai and their “floating world”: he had an impressive private collection of their work which is now on display in his workshop. He brought in oriental trees to frame the pond and planted water lilies to bloom on it. The result was a “water garden,” full of light and color effects, that fascinated Monet. One may safely assume he was happy with his work since he painted the bridge no less than 45 times.
Floral paradise
Monet also turned the orchard into a flower garden. He arranged the flower beds to create perspective and shadows, almost like he would a painting. The result was a must-see piece of floral art that is well worth the trip to Normandy. Monet had seven gardeners to help him with this huge endeavour: the sole task of one of them was to remove rain and dewdrops from the famous water lilies!
During this time, the little village of Giverny turned into an American colony. American painters rushed in to visit and discover the colourful world of Monet – much to his pride, then discontent. Among the American painters there were Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, William Metcalf and Louis Ritter. These artists took home some precious inspiration which participated to further their vision of the artistic movement.
The house of Monet in Giverny is just an hour away from Paris and whether you admire the painter or the gardener, Monet’s work will fill your vision with color! Book our Private Tour to Giverny and immerse with one of our professional local guides into the colourful world of Monet.
