Today’s motto is “Rise and shine and colour your life!”
Which painting would you like to be in?
My answer is to be found in a small town in northern France. Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny is a ‘must-see’ place in the surroundings of Paris. As if entering into his ‘en plein air’ paintings, you will be strolling in the stunning garden among tulips and poppies, irises and peonies. As a result, it looks like a pinwheel of colours, truly a feast for the eyes. So, my choice is to kick off my travel diary posts with this first recommendation. Join me on this journey and let yourself be overwhelmed by this visual “Ode to Joy”.
Monet’s garden in Giverny
Monet himself called his garden “my most beautiful masterpiece”. Familiar scenery will unfold before you, at the end of the trail. Here, you will end up crossing the wisteria-covered Japanese bridge and get lost in the peace of the water lily pond. Your lips will stretch into a smile as you feel like a pleasant déjà vu. No surprise about that. This glimpse of nature, which Monet carefully looked after, had been his source of inspiration for many years.
Claude Monet, the gardenerer
When Monet moved into the building with the pink facade in 1883, he began a meticulous botanical study, in search of chromatic combinations and light effects. In this regard, it is worth recalling his intense correspondence with his fellow painter Caillebotte. It’s not just the mutual passion for art that united the two friends, but also their interest in gardening. They gave each other advice on rare botanical species, occasionally coming from the Far East. Throughout the second half of the 19th century, the Far East stopped being so far away and burst into Western culture, including in Monet’s house. That’s what the many Japanese prints in his rooms remind us of.
The ‘double nature’ of Monet
Let me end by quoting an article published in “Le Figaro” in 1901, in which the French art critic Arsène Alexandre remarked that the same man that, in Paris, looked laconic and cold was a different person there: gentle, calm, enthusiastic. And it’s totally understandable: there’s something about this place that makes you feel good, free and relaxed. In anticipation of visiting Monet’s garden in Giverny, you may be willing to daydream in front of his beautiful works of art!
Watch our recommended video on Monet’s garden in Giverny
(Source: Royal Academy of Arts)
Looking for must-sees near Paris? You may be interested in The fabulous Vaux-le-Vicomte Castle near Paris
