Water Lilies, Reflections of Weeping Willows (left half) 1919

This painting, *Water Lilies, Reflections of Weeping Willows*, has these dominant vertical marks, like drips, rendered in a muted but luminous palette of greens, blues, and yellows. I imagine Monet, in his garden, shifting and adjusting, trying to capture light on water. It must have been hard! You see how the paint is applied in layers, thin washes building up to thicker, more textured strokes. Look at that one dark looping branch—how it hovers there, almost like a signature. You can feel him trying to get the balance just right. Monet was obsessed with capturing fleeting moments and it’s like he was trying to nail something down that just wouldn’t sit still. He's part of this huge conversation between painters, always looking, always pushing. Ultimately, his paintings suggest that meaning is never fixed, but emerges through our experience and interpretation of the world.