1883 -1926 · House, gardens, millstones and landscape created by the painter

In Giverny, Monet is no longer content with choosing his motifs: he shapes gardens, ponds and viewpoints to make his estate a living work and an open-air workshop.

Claude Monet rented a house in Giverny in 1883 before buying it in 1890. He remained there until his death in 1926. The village, located near the Seine and the Epte, first offered him paths, meadows, poplars and millstones. These neighboring motifs give rise to the great series of the 1890s, worked at regular times in order to compare the effects. In front of the house, Monet gradually transforms the orchard into Clos Normand. A central path, arches metallic and flowerbeds organized by color create continuous flowering. The garden is not a simple decor: the painter chooses varieties, regulates associations and thinks of the seasons like a palette. In 1893, he acquired one plot beyond the railway line, diverts an arm of the Epte and builds its water garden. The Japanese bridge, wisteria, willows and water lilies will form its most famous motif. As he gets older, Monet travels less and concentrates his work on this built territory. He had several workshops set up, including a large building intended for the Great Decorations. The garden, maintained by a team, provides daily variations of light and growth and reflection. Giverny therefore brings together all the dimensions of his method: direct observation, workshop resumption, serial thinking and collaboration between nature and invention. The property becomes both a family home, real landscape, optical device and total work. The "Giverny Claude Monet" selection notably compares Champ de poppies in Giverny and Le Jardin de l’artiste in Giverny. His reading favors the material.

In Giverny, Monet painted a landscape that he first planted, dug and ordered: the garden became his canvas even before the brush touched it.