Catalogue of Claude Monet's Water Lilies Paintings

Catalogue of Claude Monet's Water Lilies Paintings

Claude Monet's Water Lilies, or Les Nymphéas, were not a single painting but a vast sequence of works created over nearly three decades. This catalogue brings together major examples from the series, including early Japanese bridge compositions, close pond-surface studies, late decorative canvases and the monumental panels at the Musée de l'Orangerie.

The exact number depends on how broadly the series is defined. Monet painted around 250 works connected with the water lily pond at Giverny, including canvases titled Nymphéas, related views of the Japanese bridge, agapanthus paintings, willow reflections and large decorative panels.

Early Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge Paintings, 1897-1900

Title	French title	Date	Wildenstein no.	Current location
Water Lilies	Nymphéas	1897-1898	W.1501	Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Water Lilies, Evening Effect	Nymphéas, effet du soir	1897-1898	W.1504	Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris
Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge	Nymphéas et pont japonais	1899	W.1509	Princeton University Art Museum
The Lily Pond, Green Harmony	Le Bassin aux nymphéas, harmonie verte	1899	W.1515	Musée d'Orsay, Paris
The Water-Lily Pond	Le Bassin aux nymphéas	1899	W.1516	National Gallery, London
Japanese Footbridge	Le Pont japonais	1899	W.1517	National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies	Le Pont sur le bassin aux nymphéas	1899	W.1518	Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Water Lily Pond	Bassin aux nymphéas	1900	W.1628	Art Institute of Chicago

Water Surface Paintings, 1903-1908

After the first bridge views, Monet moved closer to the surface of the pond. The bridge and banks disappear, while floating lilies, reflected sky and mirrored trees become the main subject.

Title	French title	Date	Wildenstein no.	Current location
Water-Lilies, Clouds	Nymphéas, nuages	1903	W.1656	Private collection
Water-Lilies	Nymphéas	1903	W.1657	Dayton Art Institute
Water-Lilies	Nymphéas	1903	W.1660	Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris
Water Lilies	Nymphéas	1906	W.1683	Art Institute of Chicago

Large Late Water Lilies, 1914-1926

Title	French title	Date	Wildenstein no.	Current location
The Water-Lily Pond	Le Bassin aux nymphéas	1917-1919	W.1891	Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Water Lilies	Nymphéas	1917-1919	W.1895	Honolulu Museum of Art
The Water-Lily Pond	Le Bassin aux nymphéas	1917-1919	W.1896	Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima
Water-Lilies	Nymphéas	1920-1926	W.1978	National Gallery, London
Water Lilies	Nymphéas	1914-1926	W.1981	Museum of Modern Art, New York
Water-Lily Pond	Bassin aux nymphéas	1920-1926	W.1983	Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh

The Orangerie Panels

Panel	French title	Date	Approx. dimensions	Room
Sunset	Soleil couchant	1914-1926	c.200 x 600 cm	First room
The Clouds	Les Nuages	1914-1926	c.200 x 1275 cm	First room
Green Reflections	Reflets verts	1914-1926	c.200 x 850 cm	First room
Morning	Matin	1914-1926	c.200 x 1275 cm	First room
Tree Reflections	Reflets d'arbres	1914-1926	c.200 x 850 cm	Second room
Morning with Willows	Matin aux saules	1914-1926	c.200 x 1275 cm	Second room
The Two Willows	Les Deux Saules	1914-1926	c.200 x 1700 cm	Second room
Clear Morning with Willows	Matin clair aux saules	1914-1926	c.200 x 1275 cm	Second room

For a broader explanation of the series, return to Monet's Water Lilies.

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