Water Lily Pond 1919

This "Water Lily Pond" was painted by Claude Monet, though we're not sure exactly when, and it's now housed at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris. What strikes me first about this painting is its unusual color palette, the warm red and burnt orange hues are not what one might expect in a painting of water lilies. I see how the paint is applied in thick, energetic strokes, with each mark feeling deliberate yet spontaneous, like a kind of visual diary of the moment. The texture of the paint adds another layer of interest, giving the surface a tactile quality that invites you to reach out and touch it. The bottom of the painting is where the pond begins, a series of horizontal strokes that mimic the reflective surface of water, and the use of color creates a sense of depth. Monet was deeply interested in the sensory experiences of painting itself and you can see this in the work of a slightly later painter like Joan Mitchell. Painting is always like an ongoing conversation, each work speaking to those of the past and future. Ultimately, what makes art so compelling is its ambiguity, it is not about providing easy answers but about inviting us to ask questions.