reflecting on Monet

Lily Pond at Giverny (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

I have loved Claude Monet for at least 50 years, first encountering him in an Art Appreciation class in high school. During my senior year, I even wrote a paper on the French Impressionists in my French class. At the forefront of modern art, the Impressionists thought of a painting not as a representation of an external reality but as a reality in itself. Monet's subject was not the scene pictured but the light falling on the scene. Thus he would paint the same scene many times under different lighting conditions — the cathedral at Rouen, the houses of Parliament, hay stacks, water lilies, etc.

Monet was fascinated by reflections on water, and his way of seeing water has informed me as I have pursued my avocation of photography. Whenever I see water, I instinctively look for the reflections! During my trip yesterday to Giverny, I visited Monet's home, gardens, and lily pond. As it was a calm day, the water was still, so there were none of Monet's wonderful ripples on its surface. The mostly cloudy sky created the beautiful soft light and muted colors captured in my photograph above.

If you've read this far, you must be a fan of Claude Monet. Here's what you should include in your itinerary when you travel to Paris:

1. Musée Marmatton Monet. Not even on the radar of the vast majority of visitors to Paris, this small museum has the world's largest collection of Monet's works. The permanent exhibit on the lower level is so stunningly displayed.

2. Musée d'Orsay. This former train station has been transformed into the world's largest museum of 19th century art. Housing many of Monet's most beloved works, it also includes many works by Renoir, Manet, and Degas. One of the most visited museums in Paris, you should purchase tickets in advance to avoid standing in the long ticket lines (or purchase a Museum Pass).

3. Musée de l'Orangerie. This small museum at the southwest corner of the Jardin des Tuilleries (right by the Place de la Concorde) was created specifically to exhibit the monumental canvasses of Monet's Water Lilies series.

4. Monet's home at Giverny. We were privileged to make the trip with a driver-guide who was also an art historian (which added so much to the experience). It also made the logistics so easy for us. Though it's possible to take public transportation to Giverny, it involves taking a train to Vernon, then waiting for a public bus.

Bonus attraction: After our visit to Monet's home, we walked with our guide through the Giverny Museum of Impressionism where we saw an outstanding collection of the works of the Spanish Impressionist, Joaquín Corolla. On display through November 6, 2016, this is a must-see it if you're in Giverny.

copyright  (c)  2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.