Water Lilies 1908

Claude Monet painted these water lilies with oil on canvas, no one knows exactly when. Look at how he’s layered the paint, almost like he’s building up the surface, stroke by stroke, searching for the light. Up close, you can see the physicality of the paint, how it sits on the surface. There’s a real tension between the flatness of the canvas and the illusion of depth. Notice the way Monet uses color – the soft blues, greens, and pinks all blending together. It’s like he’s trying to capture a feeling, a fleeting moment in time. See that cluster of pink flowers near the bottom? The way he’s dabbed the paint, it’s almost abstract, but somehow it still conveys the essence of a flower. Monet’s work reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler, another artist who wasn't afraid to let the paint do its thing. What both artists share is this idea that art is a conversation, a way of seeing and experiencing the world that’s always open to interpretation.