New York (AFP) – Claude Monet did not want to travel to Venice in 1908 — at the time, he was 68 and working on his famed water lilies paintings, and only reluctantly agreed to accompany his wife Alice Hoschede. But his time spent there became one of his most prolific, resulting in 37 paintings, many of which are being put on display at an exhibit opening Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
“He fell in love with the city, and he had a wonderful time there with Alice,” the exhibit’s co-curator Lisa Small told AFP. “They wanted to come back, but Alice became ill and died sadly in 1911,” Small explained. “So he finished these paintings at Giverny in a state of sadness and mourning.”
The exhibit, which runs until February 2026, retraces the couple’s journey to Venice through masterpieces the French painter created in the city and their archives, including postcards and photos. Nineteen paintings have been compiled for the exhibit, including “The Palazzo Ducale” and “The Grand Canal, Venice.” Many showcase — in the Impressionist master’s iconic style — architecturally stunning buildings from various distances at different times of days, always highlighting water and their reflections.
Venice itself is the second protagonist of the exhibit, which also features works on the city by Canaletto (1697-1768), J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851), and John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). The highlight of “Monet and Venice” is a room showcasing the French master’s paintings accompanied by music, with a symphony created for the occasion by the museum’s composer-in-residence, Niles Luther.
The piece is a nod to art critics who, “especially toward the end of his career, would talk about his work in musical terms, through a musical lens,” said Small. “They would talk about the symphony of colors, the harmony of the brushstrokes, the brushstrokes being like an orchestra,” she said. “So we felt that there was a really meaningful connection between having music, a contemporary classical composer give his interpretation of that, in with the paintings.”
© 2024 AFP
