Claude Monet's The Water-Lily Pond comes to York Art Gallery

At York Art Gallery, Claude Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond (1899) is the centrepiece of an exhibition, Monet in York: The Water-Lily Pond which opened last Friday, that brings together key loans from regional and national institutions alongside works from York’s own collection, plus a new commission of a body of work by contemporary London-based artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan.

“When the National Gallery approached us looking for a Yorkshire partner, we were absolutely delighted to accept,” says senior curator Beatrice Bertram. “And when we found out we were going to receive the Monet, we were really excited. It is one of those paintings that is so well known and loved, it will be really accessible to everybody. We then started to think of ways to use this opportunity to inspire our audiences.”

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In 1893 Monet bought a plot of land next to his house in Giverny in Northern France. A keen gardener, he had already planted a flower garden and now his intention was to create a water garden “both for the pleasure of the eye and for the purpose of having subjects to paint”. It partly grew out of his interest in Japanese prints where he had seen such gardens portrayed. The water garden became the main focus and inspiration for Monet’s work later in his career, with the depictions becoming increasingly abstract, while The Water-Lily Pond painting is among earlier works it inspired.

Bertram and her curatorial team have taken the painting as a starting point for a rich, varied and extensive show that explores five themes – ‘Japanese prints’, ‘inspired by Monet’, ‘Open Air’, ‘Monet’s mentors’ and ‘Beyond Monet’. “The painting has a whole wall devoted to it in the gallery to allow people to get close and spend time with it. Then we have selected works that align with it.”

Monet was a collector of Japanese prints and York Art Gallery have several in their own collection that feature in the show to highlight their influence on his work. “We have chosen prints that demonstrate how he borrowed colour palette and motifs,” says Bertram. “Open air painting was key to Monet’s practice, so we wanted to explore that too. He was part of a succession of generations of French artists who had started to leave their studios and go out into the open air to paint which at the time was revolutionary. We wanted to tell the story of the evolution of French open-air painting to understand the context.” The gallery has a strong representation of open-air painting within its own collection which is showcased in the exhibition, as well as some loans.

“For ‘Beyond Monet’ we have looked at creative movements that have been inspired by Impressionism,” says Bertram. “They include abstract expressionism and pop art to illustrate the amazing impact Monet had and his lasting legacy.” One of the key loans for this section is a work by pioneering pop artist Roy Lichtenstein – Water Lilies with Japanese Bridge, 1992 – from the Tate. “In the early 90s Lichtenstein decided to create a steel screenprint of a water-lily pond,” says Bertram. “It is an interesting mix of both homage and challenge to Monet.”

The narrative of the exhibition is brought right up to the present day with Yearwood-Dan’s commission. “We have been following Michaela for a while and looking for an opportunity to work with her,” says Bertram. “She cites Monet as one of her influences so we contacted her. She has created a beautiful body of work of nine pieces – four large-scale canvases and five works on paper. The paintings have botanical motifs with text overlayed on very thick paint with ceramic flowers on the canvas itself, glitter and beads, all coming together in vibrant gestural brush strokes. She was also exploring Monet’s fascination with the changing quality of light.”

Monet has been an inspiration to the curatorial team even outside the gallery. A wildflower meadow has been planted in the gardens for visitors to enjoy and to encourage them to try sketching in the open air. The attention to detail is impressive – the head gardener has selected flowers that would have grown at Giverny. “The exhibition is a lovely celebration of open-air painting, nature, landscapes and gardens,” says Bertram. “We hope there will be something for everyone to enjoy.”

At York Art Gallery until September 8.