Title: Coin du bassin aux nymphéas
Artist: Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926)
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 130.5 x 88.8 cm
Date Created: circa 1918-1919
Description
In the late summer of 1918, Monet set up his easel on the northeastern bank of his water garden at Giverny. With the outcome of the Great War hanging in the balance, this sanctuary became the site for a radical departure: the four Coin du bassin aux nymphéas paintings. Here, Monet turned from the immersive, horizontal plane of his iconic water lilies to a defined terrestrial realm.
A reassuring curve of bank recedes into a dense screen of foliage. This is a return to solid ground. “I do not have long to live,” the 78-year-old Monet had written, “and I must dedicate all my time to painting.” Across the canvas, streams of brilliant yellow light penetrate the shadows—an irrepressible cry of hope.
Monet’s handling of paint reaches a new, proto-abstract experimentation. Pigment is blotched, swirled, layered; dry brushes drag across wet strokes, entangling form and light. He unleashes discoveries honed while working on the Grandes Décorations, yet composes within a traditionally legible space. The writhing rhythms of trees and the physical presence of light weave a restorative enchantment.
These works emerged at a historic pivot. By autumn, Allied forces mounted their decisive counter-offensive. Monet released nine new canvases to his dealers, perhaps driven to share this deeply personal response with a war-ravaged nation. Among the four Coin du bassin paintings, this work alone remained in Monet’s studio until his death, a silent witness to the final chapter of his artistic journey, providing ongoing inspiration as he completed his monumental late cycle.
Image Download
Image Dimensions: 2015 x 2995 pixels
Image Size: 7.08 MB
Image Format: JPG
Print Resolution: 300 dpi
Download Format: ZIP Archive
License: Public Domain, Free for Commercial Use
