Irises in Monet’s Garden

Monet painted many, many pictures of his gardens. Some of them with his family in them and some as is the case with this one where he has left out any human figures and focused only on the beauty of nature.

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.

On the bottom half Monet paints, with characteristic thick brushstrokes, rows of irises glistening in varying shades of violet. Where the trees above block the sunlight, the flowers are dark with highlights of white. In the middle the sun pierces through the trees filling the space with light purple, pink, lilac, and white. Monet has shown the brightness of the day, the sun bouncing off the delicate flowers.

The rows of flowers are defined by paths cut into the garden. The brown of the dirt contrasts against the bright irises, and their green stems compliment the violet masses. The top of the painting consists of the leaves of the trees growing behind the flowers hanging down into the picture pane. Deep greens, reds, and browns show the different tree families Monet had for his garden. Willows, poplars, and apple trees, among many more, were all part of his vast garden. Through the trees you can see a hint of his house, the bright green and white reflecting the light.

Still immersed in nature, the proximity of Monet's garden inspired a powerful lyricism in the artist, leading beyond Impressionist and into the wilderness of pure, ecstatic decoration that would characterise his later works.