Monet in Series

Beginning in the 1890s,

Monet experimented with a radical new approach

that would consume his work

in the last three decades of his life.

He began painting the same motif at different times of day

and across seasons to show

the changing effects of light and atmosphere.

New scientific discoveries give insight

into how Monet painted his most iconic subjects.

Stacks of wheat in the French countryside,

the Thames River in London,

and his garden at Giverny, outside of Paris.

Stacks

Harmony

- [Monet] "It takes a great deal of work to succeed

in rendering what I want to render . . .

the same light diffused over everything."

- [Narrator] Monet to Gustave Geffroy,

Giverny, October 7, 1890

These stacks of wheat were common in rural France

and stood 15 to 20 feet tall.

For Monet, their appeal was both visual and symbolic,

they represented sustenance and survival.

The Art Institute holds 6

of the 25 known "Stacks of Wheat" paintings,

which Monet produced between late summer 1890

and February 1891.

He worked on multiple canvases at the same time

in an effort to harmonize each painting

within a unified ensemble.

The stacks' simple form allowed the artist

to explore the effects of changing atmospheric conditions.

Technical analysis reveals that Monet

started painting from direct observation outdoors

and often revised each composition later in his studio.

The infrared image of this work

shows that Monet originally included

another, smaller stack at right,

which he ultimately painted out.

The blanket of snow was also a later addition.

Small gaps in the brushwork reveal glimpses

of bright green paint beneath the snow-covered field,

suggesting that the painted landscape

was once at least partially green.

A range of scientific imaging techniques

confirm that each of the Art Institute's paintings

was revised and adjusted to different degrees.

The complex layers of paint on each canvas

attest to Monet's painstaking efforts to unify the series.

London

Atmosphere

- [Monet] "There was an extraordinary fog, quite yellow;

I made a pretty good impression, I think;

It's always more beautiful than the rest,

but so changeable."

- [Narrator] Monet to Alice Monet,

London, February 26, 1900

Monet made three trips to London between 1899 and 1901,

painting some of the city's most recognizable landmarks.

Working from his room at the Savoy hotel,

Monet studied the Waterloo Bridge

at different times of day

and under varying weather conditions, painting it 41 times.

Monet loved the London fog

and painted the city softened by its effect.

In this work, he used a carefully coordinated palette

and distinct touches of color

across the surface of the whole painting.

As a result, the architectural structures

seem to dissolve into their surroundings.

A few quick dashes of paint

distinguish vehicles passing over the bridge.

The cars' headlights are represented

by daubs of bright yellow and red paint,

added as final touches.

These brilliant colors transform the most ephemeral element,

light itself,

into one of the most tangible features of the composition.

Water Lilies

Surface

- [Monet] "These landscapes of water and reflections

have become an obsession.

It's quite beyond the powers at my age,

and yet I want to succeed in rendering what I feel."

- [Narrator] Monet to Gustave Geffroy,

Giverny, August 11, 1908

In June 1920, Martin and Carrie Ryerson

visited Monet at Giverny on behalf of the Art Institute.

These Ryerson family photographs

document the artist's Japanese-inspired wooden bridge

and beloved water-lily pond.

Monet explored the pond's play

of watery reflections and solid forms.

X-rays reveal that he originally planned

a denser coverage of water lilies in the foreground.

Monet likely worked on this painting

from the pond's grassy edge,

capturing both the vegetation on the water's surface

and the reflection of its surrounding environment.

He executed the composition over several sessions,

building up multiple layers of paint

that create texture from beneath the surface

and applied thick buttery strokes for the plants,

which, altogether,

contribute to an almost sculptural effect.

The final result is expansive, immersive, and otherworldly.

Between 1905 and 1908

Monet worked on more than 60 views

of his water-lily pond at Giverny.

In total, he would create over 300 paintings

of what he called his "most beautiful masterpiece."

The subject dominated his late work,

increasing in scale from easel paintings

to room-sized panels.

Monet's complex surfaces have inspired

generations of artists

and continue to captivate audiences today.