Books about Claude Monet's House and Gardens
Last summer I got to travel to Northern Yorkshire in England and while over there I was blown away by the wild and lush gardens some of the houses had. I was especially enthralled by the established garden boarders. And I returned home determined to really get my flower boarders moving along…
Now fast forward to this past spring when I began copying Claude Monet’s painting “In the Artist’s Garden at Vetheuil” at the NGA. And I became fixated on how Monet lived and created his inspiration. These two experiences combined made me particularly interested in how I too could improve my gardens and surroundings to really build the environment that would be a constant inspiration for my art, which of course, led me to Amazon.com and the impulse to buy a few books…
Today, I want to share three books that all focus on Monet’s life and style of living.
The first book I want to share with you is Monet's Passion: Ideas, Inspiration, and Insights from the Painter's Gardens by Elizabeth Murray
Elizabeth Murray is a gardener and photographer, and she fills her book with beautiful photographs of Giverny.
I particularly like how she shares all seasons of being at Giverny, not just the height of the growing season.
And at the end of the book, she has these lovely garden plans so if you are so inclined, you too can capture some of the beauty of Giverny in your own garden... I have found these to be helpful as I planned for this year's garden, but I must admit I do not know if I would ever implement the entirety of these plans. But they are great jumping off points.
The second book I want to share with you is Monet's House: An Impressionistic Interior by Heidi Michels
Okay, it was this book that impacted me the most this year… I was struck by how Monet really built the perfect environment for his artistic vision. He purchased this house, and immediately made improvements on it, like converting the attached barn into his studio, that doubled as a parlor at times. He was very decided in how he wanted to decorate his house and even went as far as designing the fine china that was used when special guests were present.
Monet, designed his gardens so he could paint in them and the house he lived his days in. I admire his ability to create the world that was a constant inspiration for his art.
{the dining room}
{the kitchen}
{his studio that had once been an attached barn}
{his studio he built later}
I so envy his waterlily studio, especially the translucent glass ceiling. Talk about always having a consistent and intense light source!
And for the third book, it focuses on the gardens at Giverny with a special emphasis on the color harmonies found in his gardens. The Magic of Monet's Garden: His Planting Plans and Color Harmonies by Derek Fell
I really love the images in this book, and it offers a lot of information that will be helpful as continue to improve my garden. I am learning that gardening is really an ongoing process where you plant things, see how they fare, and if they do well, you may leave them in their spot or maybe not...
Chapter 5, Monet's Favorite Plants is one of my favorite sections in the book. It is full of great photos and for me, was a wealth of inspiration...
I have been so fixated on my garden this year, and these books have been a great source to help develop my plans for this growing season and for the next few years as well.
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Monet's Passion: Ideas, Inspiration, and Insights from the Painter's Gardens by Elizabeth Murray
Monet's House: An Impressionistic Interior by Heidi Michels