Irises in Monet's Garden at Giverny

In 1883 Monet rented a country house in Giverny, a small town situated between Paris and Rouen. He loved the estate so much that he bought it in 1890 and lived there until his death in 1926. When Monet took over the property he discovered an orchard, which over the following years he changed into a sea of flowers. The geometrical construction of the lower beds is clearly visible in the present painting. From Monet’s later paintings it can be seen that he was constantly changing the garden.

In his garden in Giverny, Monet painted the lush opulence of flowers, shrubs, overhanging trees and patchwork light. There is no horizon to our field of vision and this perpetuates the abiding Impressionist ambition to harmonize spatial depth and surface.