The Water Garden: East Meets West

In 1893, Monet purchased a plot of land across the road and a small stream from his property. Here he would create his most famous garden feature: the water lily pond. The creation of this water garden required considerable negotiation with local authorities and neighbors, who feared that Monet's exotic plants would poison the water used for washing and watering cattle. Only after promising to install filters and maintain water flow was he granted permission.

The water garden represented a fusion of Monet's love of Japanese art with his own aesthetic vision. Inspired by the ukiyo-e prints he collected, particularly Hiroshige's views of bridges and water, he created a space that was both Japanese in feeling and uniquely his own. The famous Japanese bridge, painted his signature green, was built in 1895 and later modified with a wisteria pergola that created purple cascades in late spring.

But the water garden was more than an exercise in Japonisme. Monet shaped the pond's irregular edges to create varied reflections, planted its banks with iris, willow, and bamboo to frame views, and most importantly, introduced the water lilies that would become his obsession. He experimented with different varieties, creating hybrids that would bloom from spring through autumn in colors ranging from pure white through pink to deep red.