À propos de l’œuvre
Nymphéas, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · 1916 -1919 · Fondation Beyeler 03.2 · W1854
Water lilies, Fondation Beyeler W1854hand painted reproduction
A large group of yellow and green leaves floats on lilac blue water crossed by vertical reflections. A few pink and white flowers punctuate the surface, while the upper edge almost becomes a mist of color. Without shore or horizon, Monet brings together water, sky and vegetation in a monumental two-meter image.
Look at the work
A basin without horizon where luminous leaves drift among reflections
Most water lilies congregate in the left half and bottom of the painting. Their circular shapes overlap, change from olive yellow to dark green, and create a diagonal that leaves more water free on the right.
Long green marks descend from the upper right and suggest reflected plants or branches. The blues, pinks and grays of the water continually change temperature, making a clear separation between depth and surface impossible.
Leaves indicate surface; reflections open it to limitless depth.
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 work linked to the large late decorations
Between 1916 and 1919, Monet worked on vast canvases devoted to the Giverny basin. The two-meter format announces the immersive ambition of the Grandes Décorations.
A composition without vanishing points
No bank frames the pool and no horizon organizes the distance. The leaves, flowers and reflections are distributed over the entire surface, close to what would later be called an all-over composition.
A deliberately matte material
The Fondation Beyeler studied the presence of an acrylic varnish added during an old restoration. This film modified the contrasts and matte appearance sought in Monet's late painting.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The single reference image measures 1979 × 2200 px. It corresponds to canvas 03.2 from the Fondation Beyeler and has been re-encoded into a real WebP with its native definition, without artificial enlargement.
An off-center group of leaves
The main mass remains on the left and at the bottom. The right side, more open, allows vertical reflections to breathe and prevents the composition from becoming symmetrical.
Olive yellow, mauve and milky blue
The brightest leaves are not pure yellow: they contain green and brown. The water mixes blue, gray pink and purple, with some dark red accents.
Circular impasto and streaks
The leaves are placed in rounded and thick gestures, while the reflections use long marks. Maintaining this opposition restores the depth and rhythm of the pool.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
These landmarks concern precisely the Water Lilies of the Fondation Beyeler, inventory 03.2 and Wildenstein 1854.
Fondation Beyeler 03.2, W1854
This oil on canvas from 1916 -1919 measures 200 × 180 cm. It belongs to the collection of the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen/Basel and bears the inventory number 03.2.
A scientifically studied surface
The Fondation Beyeler documented an old synthetic varnish that darkened colors and evened out shine. The study recalls the importance of the matte appearance and delicate material gaps.
Wildenstein 1854
Number W1854 distinguishes this vertical canvas from many other late compositions. The presence of the yellow group on the left and the long stems on the right constitutes a visual signature.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- The exact version of the Fondation Beyeler, 03.2 and Wildenstein 1854
- The monumental format of 200 × 180 cm
- The off-center group of leaves and the open space on the right
- Matte colors and material differences preserved without excessive contrast
Work sheet
| Title | Water lilies, Fondation Beyeler W1854 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1916 - 1919 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 200 × 180 cm |
| Orientation | Vertical, close to square |
| Conservation | Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, Switzerland |
| Inventory | 03.2 · Wildenstein 1854 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
Olive green, lilac blue, mist pink, muted yellow and deep green give this reproduction an enveloping presence. Its almost square format requires a clear wall in a living room, bedroom or contemplation space.
