Claude Monet
1840-1926
Water-Lilies
1917
.Oil on canvas
On loan from a private collection
First I was interested in the woman in the fine costume taking a photo of the painting, with herself in the photo. Will she send it to friends to say she was there? Will she sit around with friends and show it to them when she gets back home? Who knows?
For a long time I didn’t see that Monet’s water lily paintings are wonderful: It took me a long while to get past feeling that I saw them before I saw them – meaning that I know what water lilies are, and so the subject matter is a bit simple and obvious.
But then when I stopped, I saw that the leaves of these water lilies don’t look like any I have seen in actuality. They reward the act of looking at them deeply.
If I spend time and look, then I see that the painting is helpful to look at, and to keep looking at.
I say ‘helpful’ because we all need help to get in touch with even a small part of the feeling that is outside the rush of life.
I see so many people in the National Gallery who don’t give more than a moment’s attention any of the paintings. Often they photograph them with their phones and are gone in a trice. I wonder why they go to the galleries at all.
What is the key to unlock their interest?
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