Hamerocallis 1917

Claude Monet made this painting of daylilies, or Hamerocallis, using loose brushstrokes and a warm palette. I imagine Monet starting with broad washes of color, building up the image layer by layer. Think of the confidence needed to make these marks! I can almost see him, squinting at the light, dabbing paint onto the canvas with such freedom. The brushstrokes are so visible, so present, that they seem to dance across the surface. The texture is thick in places, giving the flowers and foliage a palpable sense of weight and volume. Look at how the dashes of greens and browns create a sense of depth and movement. The orange pops so well against the green. Monet must have been interested in the way light interacts with the flowers. This piece reminds me of other impressionist painters like Renoir and Degas who explored similar themes of light, color, and movement. It’s a reminder that artists are always in conversation, building on each other's ideas and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.