Monet at Giverny

by Adrien Goetz, Éric Sander (Photographs)

In 1890, Claude Monet bought a house at Giverny in Normandy. Soon he had laid out the first of the three studios in which he could paint. Now the garden that was to be a constant source of inspiration for those paintings claimed all his attention. In 1893, work started on the excavation of the famous pond that he would plant with water lilies, and over which he would build a Japanese bridge festooned with wisteria. Richly illustrated with photographs taken as the seasons unfold, this guide takes us on a tour of the house and gardens, inviting us to explore the settings in which Monet and his family spent their daily lives, from the iconic yellow dining room to the famous salon-studio. Adrien Goetz leads us through the gardens laid out by the father of Impressionism, where we can admire the dazzling planting schemes and successive flowerings that inspired the paintings that now hang in the world's greatest galleries and museums: drifts and avenues of iris, tulips and narcissi, wallflowers, peonies and forget-me-nots, roses and cascades of clematis and wisteria, not forgetting the legendary water lilies.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Travel

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2015

Reviews

[Jim Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

MONET AT GIVERNY will likely be viewed as a simple guidebook to Monet's home, studios and gardens by many Readers. However, it is exactly the book that I wanted to fill-in knowledge gaps and to inspire.

Almost a decade before my planned Retirement, I began "fashioning" my home to become my "perfect place to live" ... one that would not only provide creature comforts, but that would readily lend itself to welcoming guests, reflect visually who I was as a person, and to inspire me for the Third Act of my life's drama. At that time, I named my home The Retreat.

My formal knowledge of Art appreciation has been one of curiosity, but without an in-depth exploration. One day, I attended a lecture at the local art museum regarding the Impressionist works of Claude Monet created at Giverny. There, I was startled to learn that he had created a home with similar goals to the ones I had been pursuing, although he also wanted it to be a refuge from some of society's cultural horrors (especially War) while he devised a living art studio around him ... literally a place that would inspire him over and over and over again as he pursued his quest to capture "light and color." I very much wanted to learn more, but other more pressing needs put my explorations into a "Maybe/Someday" listing.

Knowing of my fascination, a very close friend who visited Giverny sent me this book. I fell in love with it almost at once. The photographs were nothing short of stunning, and I spent quite a bit of time studying many of them. It did not focus on the artist's life or works overall except for a very general overview. It was concerned with how Monet had created his artistic home. It astonished me to see how he even conceived the individual rooms as works of Art, and had many pieces distributed throughout. I shared his passion for Japanese art and history (as well as guests), which was another thing that I hadn't known before. And I had the chance to see the two legendary gardens.

When I finished the book, I immediately went back to some sections just to "inhale the atmosphere." If I ever do visit France, Giverny will be a major reason for going.

Probably most curious of all is that I've recently been in my own "artistic slump." A good part of this has been due to life circumstances claiming my time. However, MONET AT GIVERNY definitely sparked my desire to return to artistic creation ... not on the canvas, but on the written page.

Perhaps this is a case of a book crossing my path right when it was most needed. Yet, I still highly recommend it.

[Frederike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monet married art and nature, in his house, gardens and paintings, inspiring Adrien Goetz and Éric Sander to testify to that in words and photographs documenting Monet's legacy at Giverny, which they did in an inspired and inspirational manner

[Jim Woolwine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the French edition.

This is a brief history of Monet's final home, Giverny, renowned for the gardens that Monet designed and then painted. The photographs by Eric Sander are stunning.

There is an adequate biography of Monet and his large family, a description of the residence, and, of course, the plants that compose the garden. Kudos are allotted to the individuals whose vision resulted in the property's restoration, as well as the donors who funded the restoration.

The artwork displayed in the house is replicas of some of Monet's works, as well as others by his peers.

Please carefully plan a visit to Giverny if you want to go - the crowds can be overwhelming.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book purchased because I could not squeeze into Monet's house when I was there. At least I can see his rooms and the way he hung his pictures, surrounding himself with the art he loved. The yellow dining room and blue-tiled kitchen are quite striking, too! Obviously, Monet's garden was an obsession. I am very happy to see it hasn't been trampled by the hoards of tourists who visit each year. The village of Giverny is probably more charming than it was in Monet's time.

[Debbie Corson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book about Monet and his garden and home at Giverny. I learned that he created the garden that was the source of the painting of the water lilies as well as many of his landscapes. Also learned that Gerald Van de Camp was convinced to help in the restoration and he was the same person that restored Versailles and saved the Mona Lisa. What an interesting book.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book with narrative told us about Monet’s life and how it played out in the colors of his gardens, his house, and his relationships. It was especially fun to read as I had just been in his gardens. I learned that the gardens had become completely over grown after his death, but were restored by the same guy who restored Versailles gardens and part of the palace

[Coleton Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book after visiting Giverny because I had to know more! It was such a cool dive into the backstories behind Monet’s rooms and fabulous gardens. The way he bent nature to supply his art and nature surprised him still- a great lesson to constantly be learning.

[Pat Lawlor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing souvenir of my trips to Monet's garden. It couldn't be sweeter with Lots of colored photos and stories

[Rachel]

Bought at Giverny to learn more about the house and gardens. :)

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative guide to the house, paintings and gardens. Very accessible and a great accompaniment to visiting this unique place.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful coffee table book about Monet’s house in Giverny! It is filled with gorgeous photographs and covers each of the rooms in the home and how they were restored to as near as they were when Monet and his family lived there.

As someone who has visited Monet’s home and garden, this book is perfect! The photographs in this book are gorgeous and make me want to go back to visit again! If you have not been to the home and garden, I am unsure how enjoyable it would be because it is just a sweeping overview, but to me it was perfect!

[Idees Livres Mandarine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Facile à lire, idéal pour savoir le minimum en vue d'une visite à Giverny !!