In the collection of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag The painting Blueregen (1917-1920), in the collection of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, was once part of a series of seven works depicting the wisteria in Monet's garden. The artist worked for years on this life's work, consisting of eight metre-long shimmering impressions of the water lily pond. In 1927, these paintings were installed in two elliptical rooms at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris. Unfortunately, the ceiling of this former plant greenhouse was too low to include the series of wisteria rays in the design. Wisteria is one of Monet's most expressive paintings. The flower clusters are reduced to a jumble of exuberant purple and blue brushstrokes. For Monet, recognisability of the subject was no longer a starting point. In his depictions of Giverny, he gradually abandoned the distinction between sky, water and clouds. He avoided any kind of depth effect and used an increasingly loose brushwork. Blue Rain also confuses you. Are we seeing the flowers against a blue sky, or are we looking at a reflection in the water?
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