INDEX
Peering into the Creative Process
In the preliminary studies, Monet briefly captured the floating water lilies and the reflections of trees on the water’s surface using only a few subtle colors. On the other hand, in the adjacent Water Lilies painting, the same composition is retained, but the water’s surface is tinted in red and orange, revealing that it was the vivid sunset scene that truly captured Monet’s attention. It’s almost like a before-and-after transformation in a coloring book. What surprised me was that, despite being inspired by such a scene, the artist didn’t use any colors associated with dusk in the initial sketches. Once the composition was set, it seems the colors that were firmly imprinted in Monet’s mind were quickly and confidently applied. Interestingly, it’s said that there are about 15 variations of this composition.
