| > | | | | course, Giverny is in France and this is most |
| Claude Monet loved to paint in and around the | | | | certainly Japan. Something is still not quite right. |
| surroundings of his house in Giverny, France. One | | | | The explanation for this Monet garden in Japan |
| of the subjects that you find in many of his | | | | actually goes all the way back to Monet himself. |
| paintings from this period is The Japanese bridge | | | | Many Impressionists, and most definitely Monet, |
| which was one of Monet's favourite features in | | | | were fascinated by Japanese art. He participated |
| his garden. | | | | in the so-called Japanese dinners where Japanese |
| When visiting the small town of Kitagawa in Japan, | | | | art was discussed, he was close to some |
| what you may expect to find there may differ | | | | Japanese artists, he even portrayed his wife |
| widely from your actual experience. You may | | | | Camille dressed up in a Japanese outfit and he had |
| expect to find traditional Japanese bath houses, | | | | about 250 Japanese prints decorating his house in |
| gardens of lotus flowers or maybe traditional | | | | Giverny. In Japanese art, Monet saw a reflection |
| farming. Maybe a memorial for Nakaoka Shintaro, | | | | of many of his own views on art. The way |
| one of the founders or modern Japan, who was | | | | Japanese art, especially the prints, focus on |
| born here in 1838. | | | | simplicity i.e. that from elements completely |
| However, a complete European style garden with | | | | refined they draw the best aesthetics. The idea |
| European trees and flowers, two connected | | | | of simplified movement; the way a simple print |
| ponds and lots of water lilies might seem a bit out | | | | reveals new details the more you observe it; the |
| of place. In fact, the only local feature of the | | | | way beauty is in the indispensable elements, |
| garden would seem to be the Japanese bridge | | | | rather than in the amount of colors and |
| spanning over the link between the two ponds. A | | | | decorations. Monet himself identified with these |
| closer look at the bridge, set among these ponds | | | | views and attitudes towards art. Meanwhile his |
| and surrounded by water lilies, might even make | | | | own Japanese art collection also inspired him and |
| that seen a bit out of place. There is something | | | | helped him see there are more ways to do |
| eerily familiar about the setting, and even with | | | | landscapes. This collection also introduced him to |
| bridge and all it is not something related to Japan. | | | | e.g. Japanese bridge design. |
| Rather, the idea of something French springs to | | | | However, he did not install the bridge merely from |
| mind. Because has not this exact scene appeared | | | | his aesthetic requirements. Monet designed his |
| in European art? In fact, was there not one | | | | garden so that one pond would be in the shade, |
| particular artist that painted this particular setting | | | | one would be in the sun. However, with a curved |
| again and again? | | | | Japanese bridge spanning the narrow point |
| And then it dawns on you. The Japanese bridge | | | | between the two pools, the rays of the sun |
| was painted by Claude Monet, French | | | | passes beneath the bridge and light up the shaded |
| impressionist, in his garden in Giverny, most | | | | area, where the water lilies are in the shades. This |
| famously in the painting Water Lily Pond from | | | | creates a shade and light effect, and it was the |
| 1899. And the water lilies in the ponds were | | | | observation and study of this that was at the |
| similarly painted by him continuously. Only, of | | | | heart of his water lily paintings in Giverny. |