Water Lilies 1907

Claude Monet painted these water lilies with oils on canvas; the painting is soft and dreamy. I can imagine Monet at his easel, peering intently at the pond, trying to capture the way the light shimmers on the water's surface. It must have been a challenge! Look how he's layered the paint in these gentle strokes. Isn't it interesting how he's used these lilacs and greens and creams to build a sense of depth and movement? The paint is applied thinly, with delicate brushstrokes, creating a sense of atmosphere and light. See the darker passages on the upper half? They remind me of shadows; the water perhaps reflecting the trees around the pond. Monet's work here is like a conversation with other painters, all those who've tried to capture light and color on canvas. Painting is an ongoing exchange of ideas, where artists inspire each other across time. There's no right or wrong way to interpret it; the beauty of painting lies in its ambiguity and uncertainty.