“This room would offer a refuge for peaceful meditation in the midst of a flowering aquarium.”
– Claude Monet of the vestibule he designed to house Water Lilies
After the first World War, Claude Monet donated Water Lilies to France, offering Parisians a haven of peace. When he first considered the project in 1909, he wrote, “Nerves strained by work would relax in its presence, following the restful example of its stagnant waters, and for he who would live in it, this room would offer refuge for peaceful meditation in the midst of a flowering aquarium.”
Enthused to see the paintings and experience the way they seamlessly merge water, air, sky and earth, I hadn’t expected to feel awestruck by the room itself—the way the artist designed the well-lit oval-shaped room to create a space between the hustle of the city and his works. I felt as if I were immersed in art in a new way, and I noticed myself breathing more deeply. After taking it all in, I enjoyed watching the expressions of wonder in visitor after visitor as each entered the room at Musee de l’Orangerie.
What room or space offers you a sense of peace? What do you notice about yourself there?
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