monet in normandy

Wheat Field, 1881, The Cleveland Museum of Art

Monet in Normandy is a special exhibit of 53 paintings assembled from public and private collections in Europe, Japan and the US that exemplify the artist’s relationship with his hometown.

Born in Paris, Monet spent much of his life in the Norman countryside. He painted numerous seascapes and landscapes, transforming the outdoors into a studio to capture the beauty of his surroundings. Organized jointly by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh and the Cleveland Museum of Art, Monet in Normandy includes works from the early 1860s through 1925, tracing the evolution of his style and subject matter.

Road at La Cavee, Pourville, 1882, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Monet in Normandy continues at the Palace of the Legion of Honor until September 17. Admission is $15 for adults and tickets can be obtained in advance. If possible, avoids the weekends as large crowds can reduce your enjoyment of the excellent exhibition. Click here for a gallery preview.

Water Lillies, 1914-1917, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Bonus tip: don’t overlook the European galleries upstairs. These include paintings by Renoir, Degas, Manet and Pissarro as well as Monet’s The Grand Canal and a fourth interpretation of the coastal stone cottage featured in the main exhibit.

Bonus link: a very nice post on the Palace of the Legion of Honor