In 1883, Claude Monet was considered the leader of the impressionist painters. And it was at that time, he moved his family to a town outside of Paris, to Giverny. There he created a extensive garden and Japanese pond that would inspire him in his later works. While his naturalistic paintings were well received, his later Water Lillies collection were not so. It wasn’t until they were rediscovered in the twentieth century, that Monet was highly praised, and grew in stature in the impressionistic world.

The Museum of Modern Art has been showcasing, for the first time in its new home, Monet’s mural-sized Water Lillies, and other paintings from his Giverny garden. According to Museum curator and organizer of the exhibition, visitors will see in the single panel, Water Lillies, for example, the multi-layers of paint Monet added over the many months and years he created these paintings. Much like he tended his garden.

Over the years, these paintings had been especially popular among MoMA’s visitors since it offered a calming scene among the hustle and bustle of city life. They will be on exhibition until April 12, so do plan a visit. For special events and other information, log onto the museum website, www.moma.org