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Priti Doshi

Designer, Educator, Writer

Monet's House, Giverny

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International

Thanks for pushing me into writing as I had frozen with my feelings once when divoreced got divorced to art music and writing as well.
And then was totally disconnected post my cancer in 2009!
I have three pictures of his pond with waterlillies and with different lighting condition it looks spectacularly different hope you can accommodate all 3 as since we are talking of Monet, it would great to show light as our main hero. The message this impressionist gave to the world!

Once while my daughter Pooja and I were talking and discussing about 'isms', she suddenly asked me a question and insisted that I had to answer and yes, promise was my response.I got super zapped, and almost shocked listening to her question and heck I had promised to answer it!
Her question was, whom would you choose to meet from the artists, if you had to go on a blind date with, giving only 3 options!

Coming from very orthodox and strongly conservative background this was getting me clean bold as I had never expected from a merely 14 year old and that too a daughter asking me, something like this, a divorcee mother, while I was around 34 at that time.
I argued and beated round the bush but she wouldn't budge. She said we won't move forward until the question was not answered.
I had think hard as it was difficult to give just 3 options and finally I gave my choice- Claude Monet, Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci.
.
Now in July 2018 while I was at Paris with 10 young girls for a summer workshop from ISDI, Niteesha, as keen as me, loved visiting art galleries and museum's while the rest went shopping whenever time permitted. And she happily agreed to travel pretty far to visit the Claude Monet's Foundation at Giverny.

This travel, trust me was worth any amount as I loved his work (one of my blind date). The experience was far beyond words to describe, and honestly I do feel short of words to express my feelings.
We entered through the garden showing some awesome colors and a variety of blooming flowers, some or the others would be blossomed in all the seasons round the year inspiring him to paint.
This showed his deep thinking and meticulous planning. He also had a pond with waterlillies and a bridge going over it of which he had over 250 and many more paintings.

It was breathtaking to see how well the foundation took care of his works and belongings...

Just everthing, over 100 and even more of wood cut prints of several artists and uncountable paintings some famous some of unknown people.... . .

Right as you enter his house from the garden into the drawing room where there was barely any space left from flooring upto the ceiling filled with his artwork, his little bar, sofa, easels stands, the kitchen with cups, mugs and glasses and vessals he used to cook and eat in and as we moved upstairs, his bed where he slept and his cupboards, how he stored his essentials and all this was so breathtaking and magical which you can never see or experience in the static museum.

The museum can never justify this experience by merely showing some paintings with a brief writeup about them.

Here I was lovingly soaking every inch of his house and yet didn't feel invading his space and almost imagining to being there with him!

Also thought ironically how accomplished he must felt, looking at the river Seine from his window, where he had once being despondent attempted suicide due to the financial cruch and promised himself to overcome such situations in his life.

Fascinating, mesmerizing and a surreal experience to see his house where and he got inspired and worked, it is a different feeling to be there and soak yourself on how he lived and painted.... . .
This foundation should be a MUST visit in your bucket list if you are a lover of art and traveling to Paris! It was definitely far more overwhelming and enriching than seeing any tower or other random places in Paris.

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