Water Lilies 1926

Claude Monet made this painting of water lilies, maybe late in his life, with oil on canvas, I imagine, and a whole lotta looking. There’s something very intuitive about how Monet approached the canvas. He's not interested in capturing reality as it is, but as it's felt. I think he's really trying to show us the fleeting, ephemeral quality of light, water, and nature itself. I like that it’s about feeling and being in the world. Just look at how he applies the paint – those short, broken brushstrokes, they’re like little dabs of color that build up into something that shimmers and vibrates. I can see him, brush in hand, squinting at the water, trying to capture the way the light hits the surface. It must have been such a meditative experience. He’s showing me how everything is connected, how water and sky and light all reflect and influence each other. It makes me think about the interconnectedness of all things, and how everything is in a constant state of flux. I think Monet really nails that.