Recognition and Honor

Official recognition came slowly but eventually in abundance. The Salon, which had rejected him so often, eventually sought his submissions. In 1889, the French government purchased its first Monet painting. By 1900, he was represented in major museums worldwide. The Legion of Honor, offered in 1888, was initially refused by Monet, who saw it as too little too late, though he eventually accepted it.

International recognition preceded French acceptance. American museums and collectors embraced Impressionism while French institutions remained skeptical. The 1886 Impressionist exhibition in New York was a triumph. By 1900, Monet exhibitions in Boston, New York, and Chicago drew enormous crowds and sales.

Perhaps the greatest honor came with the installation of the Water Lilies in the Orangerie. This project, initiated during World War I, represented the French state's recognition of Monet as a national treasure. The specially designed rooms, created according to Monet's specifications, transformed a decorative commission into a spiritual environment, a chapel of light and color in the heart of Paris.