Contemplating Life Imitating Art at Monet's Garden in Giverny
Rest your gaze on any spot and your eyes will compose a priceless Monet masterpiece. The golden light, the ponds, the weeping trees, the green arched footbridge—déjà vu, like a half-dream—we've all been here before. Monet brought us here. The garden at Giverny is in flower from April through October with wave after wave of color: tulips, cherry blossoms, azalea, iris, poppies, wisteria, roses, and, in July and August, his immortalized water lilies.
Impressionist Claude Monet’s garden is picture-postcard perfect and located in the charming French town of Giverny (population 500 – and that number is controlled by French law). In spring, the garden is in full bloom – both flowers and tourists. If you’re staying in Paris, arrange for a guided motor tour because Giverny is about 70 miles away and difficult to find if you’re new to French traffic signs. Monet’s house, covered in vines, showcases some of his own art, plus Japanese prints (he was a big collector, though they seem so ordinary compared to his own creations). For souvenir hunters, the estate’s gift shop is the size of a gymnasium. Open April 1 through Nov. 1 from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Many photo ops.
Stepping into Monet’s retreat at Giverny is like opening the door to a magical secret garden as beguiling floral scenery envelopes you in soft pastels and flowing leafy shapes. Like a delighted child you want to see, touch, and breathe in the garden's beauty. Weeping willows, lily ponds, and overflowing flower beds create a delicious palette. Tucked into a corner of Normandy that’s close to Paris, this five-acre Eden expresses Monet’s imaginative genius for composition as a painter and a gardener. Giverny was his muse and it inspired him to plant his favorite flowers in motifs and dramatic washes of color. Here and there floral vignettes reveal Monet’s exquisite mastery of shapes, forms, textures, and hues and every detail is designed to please the eye. Always the painter first, Monet never forgot that his impressions of each scene’s particular colors and lighting would someday be brought to life on canvas.
Rest your gaze on any spot and your eyes will compose a priceless Monet masterpiece. The golden light, the ponds, the weeping trees, the green arched footbridge—déjà vu, like a half-dream—we've all been here before. Monet brought us here. The garden at Giverny is in flower from April through October with wave after wave of color: tulips, cherry blossoms, azalea, iris, poppies, wisteria, roses, and, in July and August, his immortalized water lilies.
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