Water Lily Pond 1918

Claude Monet made this painting, Water Lily Pond, with oil on canvas, though the precise date remains a bit of a mystery. The painting is built up of energetic brushstrokes. There's a dance between thick daubs of paint and thin, transparent washes, creating a surface that shimmers and breathes. See how the colors blend and separate, evoking the sensation of light filtering through foliage and reflecting on water. The lower portion of the painting with its scattered brushstrokes in a rainbow of hues is where the lily pads float, each one a tiny universe of color. It’s not about capturing a photographic likeness but, instead, about conveying a feeling, an atmosphere, a moment in time. This work makes me think of Joan Mitchell who shared a similar interest in capturing the fleeting qualities of light and color. Ultimately, these paintings are less about what is depicted than about the act of painting itself.