À propos de l’œuvre
Les lilies d'eau, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · 1907 · Vertical water lilies · Wildenstein 1706
Water lilies W1706, former Kawamura collectionhand painted reproduction
In this vertical version painted in 1907, Monet tightens the Giverny basin until the bank and the horizon disappear. A flow of yellow, pink, lilac and blue light descends into the center of the water, framed by darker masses of reflected vegetation. Water lilies float at several apparent depths and make the boundary between the actual surface, sky and trees uncertain.
Look at the work
A column of light crosses the basin and transforms a fragment of water into a vertical landscape
The center of the canvas opens like a luminous passage. Pale yellows mingle with cold pinks and gray blues, then are reflected in the lower half. Around this axis, the denser greens gradually close the field without forming a regular edge.
Water lily leaves interrupt reflections with irregular ovals. Some remain almost flat and dark; others receive pink, blue or cream light. Monet varies their sharpness so that the gaze oscillates between the plants placed on the water and the depth suggested by the verticals.
The basin is not represented from its bank: it becomes an autonomous surface where light, leaves and reflections overlap.
Composition, touch and light
What Monet builds behind the impression of snapshot
Three precise elements allow us to understand this composition and the essential difficulties of faithful reproduction.
A format inspired by verticality
This canvas belongs to the group of fifteen vertical water lilies painted in 1907. The close relationship of the support brings the composition of a Japanese hanging scroll closer together: the gaze descends into the image instead of traveling over a panoramic horizon.
Central light without visible source
The light area is neither a path nor an opening between trees. It corresponds to the sky reflected in the water. Its vertical continuity gives depth, while the leaves placed on the surface constantly bring the gaze back towards the plane of the painting.
Broken colors rather than descriptive
Greens contain blue, brown and purple; yellows slide towards pink or gray. For faithful reproduction, these mixtures must remain visible and avoid both uniform green and artificially enhanced contrast.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The single reference image measures 2,530 × 3,200 px. It shows the canvas from the front, without frame, and has been encoded in real WebP to its native definition, without artificial enlargement.
Water lilies distributed by islets
The leaves gather mainly at the top and sides, then become rarer in the center. This distribution lets the light reflection breathe and maintains the balance between the occupied parts and the open passages.
Pale gold, pink, lilac and deep green
The warmth of the center is contained by bluish greens and cold browns. The few pink flowers act as punctuations, without dominating the reflections or transforming the canvas into a decorative floral scene.
A touch that changes with the pattern
The leaves are placed in short, rather horizontal gestures, while the reflections follow longer vertical directions. The crossing of these keys builds the water without drawing waves or firm contours.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
These landmarks concern precisely the Water Lilies of 1907 listed Wildenstein 1706.
Wildenstein 1706, signed and dated 1907
This oil on canvas measures 92 × 73.6 cm. Monet signed and dated it lower right. The vertical format and the number W1706 allow it to be distinguished from the many other views of the basin executed the same year.
Presented at Durand-Ruel in 1909
The work appeared under number 36 in the exhibition dedicated to Water Lilies organized in Paris by the Durand-Ruel gallery in 1909. This presentation brought together the cycle on which Monet had been working for several years.
Former collection of the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art
The painting was acquired jointly from Monet by Durand-Ruel and Bernheim-Jeune in December 1920. It then belonged to the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art before its return to the art market.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- The exact vertical version, listed Wildenstein 1706
- The original ratio of 92 × 73.6 cm, without widening the framing
- The central yellow, pink and lilac column held under the floating leaves
- Deep greens preserved with their shades of blue, purple and brown
Work sheet
| Title | Water lilies W1706, former Kawamura collection |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1907 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 92 × 73.6 cm |
| Orientation | Vertical |
| Conservation | Private collection, former collection of the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art, Japan |
| Inventory | Wildenstein 1706 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
Water green, gray blue, lilac, soft pink and pale gold give this hand-painted reproduction a presence that is both calm and luminous. Its vertical format is particularly suitable for a narrow section of wall, between two openings or above a base unit.
