Pond Lilies 1908

Robert Lewis Reid laid down this painting, Pond Lilies, with what looks like oil on canvas. I imagine him using the same strokes to describe the woman’s dress as the landscape, the fence, and the pond. All painted with equal care and detail. The woman here is draped in a light, shimmering blue fabric and seated next to a large bowl containing water lilies. Maybe she’s just picked them and is taking a rest. The light is soft and gentle. I wonder if Reid was thinking about mortality and beauty when he made this. It's a calm, contemplative piece, and maybe he wanted to capture a fleeting moment. Painters are in constant conversation. Maybe he was thinking of Manet, maybe Monet, who famously painted water lilies in his garden. The act of painting itself—the brushstrokes, the colors, the light—all working together to create a moment of quiet reflection, just like the painting I made yesterday. It's all connected, isn't it?