Waterlilies

Claude Monet painted this monumental canvas around 1914-1915, during one of the most difficult periods of his life. His son and second wife had recently died, World War I raged across France, and his eyesight was failing. Despite these hardships, he continued working at his beloved water lily pond in Giverny.

The painting remained in Monet's family for decades, hanging in his son Michel's dining room for over 35 years. The Portland Art Museum acquired it in 1959 for $60,000. It has never had another owner.

In 2024, the museum completed a major restoration, removing a varnish that had been applied against Monet's wishes. The artist was adamant from the 1870s onward that his paintings should not be varnished. The restoration revealed the original, more subtle tonalities Monet intended.