Water Lilies in Giverny

Water Lilies in Giverny (1917) at the Nantes Museum of Arts belongs to the extensive series of water lily canvases Monet produced during and after World War One, when he was confined to Giverny and increasingly absorbed by the pond that had become his entire artistic world. By 1917 Monet was working simultaneously on the monumental Grandes Décorations panels intended for the Orangerie and on smaller, more intimate lily canvases. The Nantes canvas, likely a study or independent work rather than a panel component, shows the pond from the characteristic close viewpoint that eliminates horizon and encloses the viewer within the water's surface.

Lily pads float across a deep blue-green water surface. Monet uses curving, looping strokes that follow the rounded pads' outlines and the rhythm of light on water. The color orchestration is mature and bold—strong blue-greens contrasted with the creamy whites and yellows of lily blooms.