The Musée Marmottan pays tribute to the influence of Monet’s garden on his work, and its inspiration for other artists…

Monet – Nymphéas, Reflets de saule


The story of how Monet arrived in Giverny, 80km northwest of Paris is an interesting one. In 1883 the artist is 42 years old and already a widower. With his partner Alice Hoschedé and their respective children, they rent a house in Giverny and Monet falls in love with the area, not far from the Seine.

10 years later, Monet buys a plot of land at the end of the garden and starts to draw what will become the sumptuous gardens we know now, with a pond an the famous bridge. However, despite the family staying at the house after Monet’s death in 1926, by 1940 the garden is a wilderness and the pond is dry. It’s only in 1970 that restoration work starts, after the property and grounds are donated to the Musée Marmottan. The gardens reopened as recently as 1980.

The Musée Marmottan in Paris will be displaying a selection of Monet paintings of his garden, as well as many more by other artists who came to the region and were similarly inspired. It really is worth seeing Monet’s work up close, and then stepping back. No postcard or JPEG can do them justice.

Will Cotton – Flanpond

Here’s all the essential information for the Voyage à Giverny exhibition at the Musée Marmottan in Paris

Where: Musée Marmottan, 2 rue Louis-Boilly, Paris 16th arrondissement. Métro La Muette (line 9). Bus n°s 22, 32, 52, 63
When: 21st February – 11 May 2008
Opening hours: 10am – 5.30 pm every day except Mondays (last ticket at 5pm). Closed 1st May
Entrance fee: a bit pricey. 9 euros for adults, 5.50 euros concessions. Free for kids under 8 years old. Audio guide in English: 3 euros
Official site: here

Bigger map here