Water Lilies facts for kids

Water Lilies (1907), a famous painting by Claude Monet in Houston, Texas.

The Water Lilies (also known as Nymphéas) are a huge collection of about 250 oil paintings by the French artist Claude Monet. These paintings show the beautiful flower garden Monet had at Giverny, France. Painting these water lilies was the most important work Monet did during the last 30 years of his life. Many of these artworks were created even while Monet had eye problems called cataracts. You can see these amazing paintings in museums all over the world, including places like the Musée Marmottan Monet and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Monet's Garden and the Paintings

In 1893, as part of his big plans for his garden in Giverny, Monet had a special pond dug. He then planted it with lovely lilies. He started painting this pond in 1899, and after that, it became the main subject of his art.

Creating the Series

Monet worked for more than 20 years on this large series of paintings. He wanted to capture every detail, feeling, and reflection of the flowers and water. The series shows the lilies at different times of the day and in various weather conditions. He wanted to show how light and atmosphere changed the scene.

After thinking about it for a long time, Monet showed 48 of his water lily paintings in 1909. He displayed them at the gallery of his art dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, in Paris. This collection became a huge success! People loved them, and they sold very well.

A New Style of Art

By the mid-1910s, Monet had developed a completely new and bold way of painting. In this style, the water lily pond became the starting point for art that was almost abstract. This means the paintings focused more on colors, shapes, and feelings rather than showing things exactly as they look.

Related pages

• Rouen Cathedral (Monet)

Images for kids

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  Claude Monet, The Water Lilies – The Clouds, 1920–26, Paris

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  Le Bassin Aux Nymphéas, 1919, private collection

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  Water Lilies, 1919, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

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  Water-Lily Pond and Weeping Willow, 1916–19, private collection

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  Nymphéas, 1915, Musée Marmottan Monet

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  Nymphéas (Waterlilies), 1914–17, National Gallery of Australia

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  A close-up of a Water lily pond, one of 18 views of the pond, 1899, Boston Museum of Fine Arts

See also

In Spanish: Nenúfares (Monet) para niños