À propos de l’œuvre
Nénuphars (Agapanthus, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · circa 1915 -1926 · Cleveland 1960.81 · W1975
Water Lilies (Agapanthus), Cleveland W1975hand painted reproduction
More than four meters wide, light water lilies float in purple, blue and green water. Groups of leaves are concentrated mainly at the top and to the right, leaving a calm depth in the center. This monumental panel from the Cleveland Museum forms part of the triptych formerly called Agapanthus.
Look at the work
Groups of water lilies cross an immense purple surface where the reflection and depth remain limitless
The left half remains relatively open. A few pale leaves stand out against a cold purple-blue, while darker vertical touches descend near the edge. This breathing prepares for central concentration.
At the top, a large group of green, pink and white leaves stretches horizontally. On the right, a dark mass contains several luminous flowers and red accents. Their asymmetry animates the length without breaking the unity of the water.
The panel does not describe a pool edge: it places the viewer in front of a continuous expanse, wide enough to fill the field of vision.
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 of 4.25 meters
The museum emphasizes that the panoramic scale amplifies the impression of limitless space. Groups of leaves must remain spaced apart so that the surface retains its size.
An ancient agapanthus motif under the painting
X-ray examinations revealed agapanthus leaves covered during the covers. The title preserves the memory of this first conception of the triptych.
One of three panels now separated
After Monet's death, the three parts were sold separately to American museums. The other two are in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The Open Access source measures 15,356 × 7,576 px. It was reduced to 5,000 × 2,467 px for Shopify then converted into a real WebP, without artificial enlargement.
Islets of leaves in a vast interval
Groups do not form a continuous frieze. The water passages between them determine the rhythm and give the format its breathing.
Purple, blue and green crossed by light
The background appears dark but remains composed of multiple temperatures. The whites and roses of the flowers must maintain an integrated luminosity, never raw.
A material developed over several years
Monet takes over and transforms the panel. Overlays, erasures and changes of direction must remain perceptible in the reproduction.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
These landmarks concern the panel of the Cleveland Museum of Art, inventory 1960.81 and Wildenstein 1975.
Cleveland 1960.81, Wildenstein 1975
The museum dates the oil on canvas to around 1915 -1926 and publishes unframed dimensions of 201.3 × 425.6 cm. The catalog raisonné gives it the number 1975.
Entered the museum in 1960
The work was acquired through the John L. Severance Fund and an anonymous donation. Its inventory number is 1960.81.
The central panel of a triptych
The Cleveland Museum retains the central panel of the Agapanthus ensemble. The companion shutters belong to the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- The exact version from the Cleveland Museum, 1960.81 and W1975
- The original panoramic ratio of 201.3 × 425.6 cm
- Large preserved water intervals between groups of leaves
- Violets and dark blues kept colorful even in the shadows
Work sheet
| Title | Water Lilies (Agapanthus), Cleveland W1975 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | around 1915 -1926 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 201.3 × 425.6 cm |
| Orientation | Panoramic horizontal |
| Conservation | Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, United States |
| Inventory | 1960.81 · Wildenstein 1975 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
Deep purple, blue, sea green, pale pink and white give this panoramic reproduction an immersive presence. It requires a wide wall, above a sofa or a low piece of furniture.
