Water Lillies

Day 8:

I had no preconceptions about the Musée De L’Orangerie going into it, mostly because I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know of any artist that might be there or what type of work I would encounter, so I wasn’t particularly over excited about going there. Realizing that this was where the Monet lily pond paintings where housed was a great surprise. Upon seeing them and actually sitting down with them I found that for the first time on the trip I was truly overwhelmed by the beauty of the painting. The soft peace that the painting, and the construction and color of the room offered was something i’d never felt so strongly from a painting before. I willingly sat in front of the Monet lily paintings for well over an hour and for the first time since the beginning of the trip had a real desire to sketch the piece. Normally I only sketch because I feel like I should. Though it wasn’t the greatest representation of the painting, I loved the time I spent sketching in front of it and taking it in. 

I think what made the experience so powerful was the shear scale of the paintings. They were enormous and so long that you could truly become lost in the painting. You can visit and visualize his lily pond through the painting, and for a narrative thinker like me, I really engaged with that imaginative and experiential aspect of the painting. 

I was however, frustrated by the amount of people in the room, and where they chose to stand. As many of us were sitting trying to take in the grand beauty of the paintings, some chose to stand in front of the paintings while looking at their maps or phones. I just so badly wanted to experience the room and the paintings as they were intended, or maybe not so much intended even as implied. I’m sure they knew that there would be an abundance of people coming to the museum but they still wanted to create a space where one could have an intimate moment with the paintings. 

The noise level and the shear volume of people turned a peaceful painting and potential experience into a stressful situation, which I found to be counter productive to what I saw as part of the motive of the painting. 

Towards the end though, as the museum was closing, I finally got my one on one experience with the paintings. It was a little rushed, but seeing the paintings free of any inconveniently placed extremities, butts, hats, bags, maps or anything of the like was such a liberating feeling. It was quiet, and peaceful, and somewhat intimate, the way I imagine it ought to be. 

Also, I secretly took some pictures of the Monet paintings but i’m not sure if i’m allowed to post them. So all you get are my terrible sketches and one poor attempt at water color.