Water Lilies (Nymphéas)
Digital display of an oil painting on canvas • Claude Monet
Style & Movement
French Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas (original); digital pixel reproduction (current image). Original uses impasto, gestural brushwork, and wet-on-wet techniques.
Creation Period
Original created approximately 1914–1926
Dimensions & Format
Landscape format; original canvases often exceeded 2 meters in width for the Grande Décoration series.
Subject Description
A close-up view of a pond surface populated with water lilies (nymphéas). The composition lacks a horizon line, blurring the boundaries between the water surface and the reflections of the sky and vegetation. It focuses on the play of light and color on water.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent (digital reproduction); Original works in this series vary from Good to Excellent depending on conservation history.
Estimated Market Value
$30,000,000 - $70,000,000 USD for an original canvas of this scale.
Auction Estimate
$40,000,000 - $60,000,000 USD
Provenance History
Original likely from the artist's studio in Giverny; many similar examples are now in the Musée de l'Orangerie, Musée d'Orsay, or MoMA.
Art Historical Significance
A seminal work of late Impressionism that paved the way for 20th-century Abstract Expressionism. These late works represent Monet's meditation on nature, light, and the dissolution of form.
Notable Features
The absence of a focal point or horizon line, the use of vibrant purples, greens, and blues, and the distinctive 'all-over' painterly style.
Condition Issues
As a digital image on a screen, none. Original canvases often suffer from craquelure or yellowing of old varnish if not recently conserved.
Conservation Recommendations
For a physical original: climate-controlled environment (50% RH), UV-filtered lighting, and professional cleaning if varnish is oxidized.