MATSUNAGA Manabu | Vol. 6: Claude Monet's Water Lily Garden

MATSUNAGA Manabu | Vol. 6

Claude Monet's Garden

A "Palette of Light"—An Outdoor Theater for Art

Claude Monet (1840–1926), a painter who shone brightly even among the Impressionists, created his garden as a stage for his art. Located in the village of Giverny, about 80 km down the Seine River from Paris, France. Monet moved here in 1883 and it was here that he created his late masterpiece, the Water Lilies series.

Photos and text by Manabu Matsunaga

An artist once told me,

“When you get close to Giverny, the light feels different.”

This place seemed enchanted by the agitation of light, the air shimmering with a radiant glow.

It was a light that could be seen.

Monet chose this place as his home in his later years.

The decoration of the main house's kitchen is also beautiful, and the dining room, unified in yellow, is superb.

From spring to autumn, flowers bloom in a riotous display that captivates visitors, but the main attraction is undoubtedly the pond where water lilies float.

The pond, where countless colors shift in an instant depending on the position of the sky, clouds, wind, and sun, and even on one's own movement.

Colors blend, creating new hues, which then overlap with others.

This repeats eternally, an endless continuum.

Is it possible to capture this fleeting sense of flow and time in a photograph?

The moment I decided to try and capture a fleeting moment of light, as Monet did,
the pond transformed into a vast "palette of light."