Famous Artworks – Claude Monet’s Water Lilies

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Hi everyone, it’s Robbie Cheadle here with you today with the August post in the Famous Artworks series on LatinosUSA – English Edition.

This post is another collaboration with the wonderful Resa McConaghy and shares some information about Claude Monet’s Water Lilies series of roughly 250 oil paintings and some photographs of his Water Lilies works. The photographs are by Resa and were taken during her visit to the the Art Gallery of Ontario to see The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse exhibition.

About Monet’s Water Lilies series

Monet’s Water Lilies paintings were all inspired by his custom garden in Giverny, France.

Monet created the garden by diverting a local river to flood his property and he used this water to build his famous water garden.

He cultivated the exotic water lilies and build the Japanese bridge years before he finished painting most of his Water Lilies paintings.

Monet painted over forty large-scale panels late in life, aiming for a borderless illusion of water.

In all of the Water Lilies paintings, Monet focuses on the surface of the water. Land and sky are only included in these paintings as reflections in the water. The sky, with its white clouds, is reflected in the water so the blue of the sky and the blue of the water are one. Only the presence of the water lilies indicates to the viewer that the sky is a reflection.

Monet’s Water Lilies at the AGO

First Painting

Photo of white clouds and green trees reflected in the blue of the water. A group of water lilies floats in the centre of the picture with two more distant groups further back to the right and a few even more distant groups towards the back of the canvas. There is a part of a group in the front left hand corner. This picture shows the heavy gold frame.
Picture caption: Photo of white clouds and green trees reflected in the blue of the water. A group of water lilies floats in the centre of the picture with two more distant groups further back to the right and a few even more distant groups towards the back of the canvas. There is a part of a group in the front left hand corner. This picture shows the heavy gold frame. Photograph by Resa McConaghy.
Picture caption: This is a closer photograph of the same Water Lilies painting with very little of the frame showing.
Picture caption: This is a closer photograph of the same Water Lilies painting with very little of the frame showing. Photograph by Resa McConaghy.
Picture caption: An even closer photograph of this painting with not of the frame included.
Picture caption: An even closer photograph of this painting with not of the frame included. Photograph by Resa McConaghy.

Second Painting

Picture caption: This is a round Water Lilies painting depicting green trees and scattered white clouds reflected int he water. The painted water lilies are much closer and you can see the individual petals in yellow and pink. The heavy gold frame surrounds the painting.
Picture caption: This is a round Water Lilies painting depicting green trees and scattered white clouds reflected int he water. The painted water lilies are much closer and you can see the individual petals in yellow and pink. The heavy gold frame surrounds the painting. Photograph by Resa McConaghy.
Picture caption: Closer photograph of this painting with only a little of the gold frame showing.
Picture caption: Closer photograph of this painting with only a little of the gold frame showing. Photograph by Resa McConaghy.
Picture caption: A close up of this picture. Photograph by Resa McConaghy.

Another Monet Water Lilies painting

This photograph is one of mine from the Orsay Museum in Paris. It’s off centre because there were so many people it was difficult to get a clear shot.

Picture caption: green foliage is reflected in the water. A cluster of white water lilies dominates the front of the painting and a smaller more distant cluster of pink water lilies features in the left back corner.
Picture caption: green foliage is reflected in the water. A cluster of white water lilies dominates the front of the painting and a smaller more distant cluster of pink water lilies features in the left back corner. Photograph by Robbie Cheadle.

Finale

I’m finishing this post with a smile. One of my art cakes featuring a frog and two pink water lilies and lily pads made from fondant.

About Resa McConaghy

Picture caption: Photograph of Resa from her blog, Graffiti Lux Art & More

My name is Resa McConaghy. I’m a semi-retired Costume Designer for film and television.

My first Art Gown “Strawberry Kisses” was to create some beauty in my life after mom died. It was a hit with people, so I continued to make and post more “Art Gowns”.

At some early point, I began upcycling, repurposing and in general making the gowns out of any fabric or notions that were not new goods. I was using up anything headed for landfill.

The Art Gowns are available to borrow or rent (situation dependant) for Gala’s, photo shoots and film production.

Resa’s Costume Design website: https://resamcconaghy.com/

Resa’s Art Gown blog: https://artgowns.com/2025/11/22/held-inside-the-folds-of-time/

Res’as Graffiti Lux Art & More blog: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/2025/11/29/gal-lery-i/

Resa has a fantastic book. You can find out more about it here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/artists/

About Robbie Cheadle

Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph

South African author, photographer, and artist, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated seventeen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, written and illustrated four poetry books and written and illustrated one celebration of cake and fondant art book with recipes. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

Social Media Links

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
TSL Publications: https://tslbooks.uk/product-tag/robbie-cheadle/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robbie-Cheadle/author/B01N9J62GQ
Unsplash profile: https://unsplash.com/@r_cheadle

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3 respuestas a «Famous Artworks – Claude Monet’s Water Lilies»

  1. Avatar de derrickjknight

    A good look at Monet’s paintings – especially without the heavy frames. I hadn’t known about the making of the water garden. A good cake match

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  2. Avatar de Rosie Amber

    What a great cake topper Robbie.

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  3. Avatar de thomasstigwikman

    Those are very beautiful paintings and great photos of the paintings. I saw a water lily exhibit by Monet the last time we visited Paris

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