30 Comments

Thank you for taking us on this journey with you Stella. Absolutely fascinating!

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Thank you, Shital!

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Beautiful memories, Stella, thank you. I stayed--for a long while--with Monet's three large Water Lily panels at the MOMA. I remember how they filled the room (and me) with peace. It would be incredible to be surrounded by the 22 panels at in the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris! I hope you & Tina get to do that one day soon.

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Thank you for sharing your experience with one of Monet's Water Lily panels at the MOMA. How wonderful it is to find peace in his timeless artwork. Crossing my fingers I get to visit Paris next year.

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What a lovely peak into Monet's life! I have been a long time fan of his and much of what you shared here was new to me. L'Orangerie is fabulous!

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Thank you, Mary. These were the things I didn't know about Monet too and that's what I wanted to share in today's newsletter. I'm glad you learned something! Looking forward to visiting the L'Orangerie next year, fingers crossed.

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Thank you for taking us along on your visit to Giverny! It looks absolutely enchanting. I do not know much about Monet’s life and you have piqued my interest. I’m glad he swam back to shore after that attempt to end his life, just think what the world would have lost!

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You're welcome, Laura. I know, right? It was the tour guide on our bus ride to Giverny that mentioned it and that bit of info got stuck in my mind. That's what prompted me to dig deeper and share these tidbits about his life that I thought might interest others as well. Thanks for reading!

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It's odd to think of Monet as a struggling artist. Depressed, and throwing himself into the Seine, it seems almost cliche. Today, all we see is the genius, again, almost a cliche.

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So true, Darin. Society tends to focus on the peak not the journey to get there. Thanks for reading and chiming in!

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I loved reading this, Stella, and I love the diptychs you put together of the interiors. It all looks so beautiful!

I had no idea that Monet attempted suicide. I am so glad he shared his mind. Thank you so much for sharing this!

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Glad to hear that, Manuela! I love photographing quiet interiors-- there's just something about the spaces that also speak of the people who lived there- a kind of portrait if you will. The tour guide on the bus ride to Giverny was the one that mentioned about it and it stuck with me. Imagine we would've lost such a artistic genius had he been successful at his attempt? I'm so glad he swam back and decided to continue painting.

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Omg, autocorrect! 🙈 “changed” his mind not “shared”.

But then “shared” I guess fits, too. :)

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A gorgeous post, Stella - I learned so much! I visited Monet's garden when I was 18, before I fell in love with his art. Years later a friend and I went halves on a set of Monet prints - I think it was a collect-six-tokens-and-send-a-tenner kind of magazine offer or something - and because the friend was a rather formidable type, and because I knew she wanted the three waterlily prints, well, when she asked me to choose I said 'Oh, I'd really love the London three, please!' with empty-hearted nonthusiasm.

Guess what? I grew to absolutely LOVE those three pictures, and later painted the bedroom of the flat I moved into a lovely shade of creamy gold to complement them. Choosing THOSE prints had been the right thing for me all along!

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Thank you, Rebecca! Wow, so glad that the London fog series grew on you over the years! I love that story you shared. Sometimes things work out the way they are supposed to. I learned that from my brother as that is his mantra.

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Oh Stella, I’m going to write this down in my journal - ‘Sometimes things work out the way they are supposed to.’ Perfect! Thank you so much!

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Thank you for the journey, Stella. Vicariousness is a beautiful thing.

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Thank you so much! I appreciate it.

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My God, this essay and videos touch my soul, moving me to tears. Thank you.

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Thank you for letting me know, Lola. Handing you some virtual tissue from across the web. I have heard people weep after seeing his water lilies. An old friend of mine shed tears after viewing the portrait he painted of his first wife, Camille and his son when we saw it together.

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What a beautiful read. I saw the waterlilies at MOMA a few years ago and it was a beautiful experience.

I love your diptychs of his place. Thank you for sharing!

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Thanks for reading and looking, Susanne! and I'm glad you enjoyed the diptychs. It was fun to put together. So good that you were able to see the waterlilies in person. Crossing my fingers I hope to see it next year.

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Some fascinating nuggets of information Stella. I didn't know Monet was a close friend of Clemenceau and his role in having the Water Lillies hang in l'Orangerie. I hope you get a chance to visit next time you are in Paris - it's a wonderfully immersive experience. The Courtauld in London is exhibiting his views of the Thames at the moment. I hope to be able to visit.

https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/exh-monet-and-london-views-of-the-thames/

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Thank you, Andrew! I'm so glad the details about his life that I found fascinating resonated with you too. How wonderful that the London Fog series is on exhibit in London! I also hope to see them in person someday, if it’s meant to be.

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Certainly a giant in my eyes. An inspiration like none other. Forever grateful for his eye, his genius, his sensitivity .

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Thank you for your thoughts Christine! I so appreciate it.

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Delightful! We went in August this year when Giverny was mobbed, so wonderful that you had some moments to yourselves there. I also enjoyed the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris (practically empty) with one of his palettes. Have you been?

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Thanks for the tip @E.O. Connors I have not been to Musee Marmottan Monet. I will definitely check it out when I return to Paris, hopefully, next year.

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It’s on my bucket list! 😊 What a lovely feature, dear Cousin 🥰

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Thanks Cuz! It’s worth the trip. There is also another museum nearby (walking distance) that also features flowers and planted according to colors—- all the blues in one area, red on another. So beautiful and uplifting! https://www.mdig.fr/decouvrir-le-musee/le-musee/le-jardin/

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