Nature begets peacefulness, tranquility, artistry. Henry David Thoreau had Walden Woods. Jim Morrison had the California Desert. Claude Monet had Giverny.
And now Columbus has Giverny, too. In Monet’s Garden: The Lure of Giverny is now open at the Columbus Museum of Art. The exhibit, which runs through Jan. 20, boasts 12 of Monet’s original paintings, eight of which are on loan from the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris. Columbus and Paris are the exclusive venues for this stunning show.
The story of Giverny began in 1883, when Monet was 42. Recently widowed, Monet moved to the 4-acre property about 50 miles northwest of Paris to hone his two great passions – gardening and painting. Monet has even been quoted as saying “I am good for nothing except painting and gardening.”
He stayed there for the rest of his life – he died when he was 85 – watching fledgling artists come and go, translating onto canvas their own impressions of the enchanting beauty of Giverny.
Several works are on display from these artists as well, proving Monet's influential career transcended generations.
“Monet liked to be in total control of what he was creating and he knew that active painting would not have been possible without gardening. He favored the Giverny area because it was on the River Seine,” says Joe Houston, one of three curators for this exhibition.
The River Seine spawned his Water Lilies pieces, perhaps the most important theme of his career. “He used water in a very personal and reflective way,” Houston says.
The display also shows off how revolutionary Monet’s work truly was. In the 1860s, he and a few of his contemporaries were shunned by a renowned Paris academy because their work was too cutting edge. They decided to hold their own exhibitions, which essentially began his long and illustrious career.
The exhibit follows a timeline of Monet’s career at Giverny, from his initial works of the garden through his more abstract and contemporary pieces late in his life. “He moves rapidly and you can tell he uses painting as an exploration,” Houston says.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Monet’s artistry is his repetition. Monet would take the exact same spot on the River Seine, at the exact same time of day each time, and paint it 20 times. Each painting, however, turned out decidedly different.
His work had a dramatic impact on the development of 20th century art. By 1900, Giverny had become a haven for students and expatriate American artists, including Theodore Robinson, Willard Metcalf, Thoedore Butler (a Columbus native), John Breck and more.
Upon Monet’s death in 1926, Giverny fell into disarray and stayed that way until World War II, when thousands of American soldiers flocked to France and embraced an artistic lifestyle. Ellsworth Kelly was one of them, and is credited for gaining access to Monet’s studio in 1952 and uncovering many of the famous artist’s forgotten paintings.
A full-restoration of Monet’s house and garden in Giverny took place in the late 1980s, and the creation of fellowship programs opened up a new audience of contemporary artists and a full resurgence of Monet’s beloved property.
As a result, Monet’s garden is once again a vital centerpiece of creative activity for contemporary American artists. Alongside Monet’s originals, many of these Postmodern pieces are on display that reinterpret Giverny.
In addition to the Giverny-inspired works by Monet and his successors, this exhibit also includes a rare portrait painting of Monet and an encased palette he used in his later years. There are also interactive areas and paintings placed throughout the museum based on the garden theme.
Presenting sponsor of the exhibit is JPMorgan Chase. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for children ages 6-17 and free for those 5 and younger and for museum members. For more information, visit www.columbusmuseum.org.