Philosophical Implications

Monet's legacy extends into philosophy, particularly questions about perception and reality. His demonstration that appearance changes with conditions of observation anticipated phenomenology and relativistic thinking. The serial paintings show that no single view captures "truth"—reality is multiple, dependent on when and how we observe.

His focus on temporal experience over stable forms paralleled developments in philosophy and science. Henri Bergson's ideas about time and consciousness find visual equivalent in Monet's attempts to capture duration and change. The dissolution of solid form into light and color parallels modern physics' understanding of matter as energy.

The question of whether Monet's late works represent failing vision or visionary achievement raises profound questions about perception, disability, and artistic truth. These paintings challenge assumptions about "correct" seeing, suggesting that different ways of perceiving might reveal different truths.