Claude Monet's Cataracts and the Birth of Abstraction
Claude Monet's deteriorating vision due to cataracts profoundly transformed his late work, pushing him toward abstraction. Diagnosed in 1912, Monet resisted surgery for years, relying on drops and glasses. After finally undergoing an operation in 1923, his sight partially returned but his style had irrevocably changed. His monumental series of water lilies, painted between 1915 and 1926, reflects this shift. Monet died on December 5, 1926, in the arms of his friend Georges Clemenceau. The 19 panels of the Nymphéas were installed at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris, opening on May 27, 1927.
Key facts
- Monet began experiencing vision problems in 1908 and was diagnosed with cataracts in 1912.
- He refused surgery due to fear of blindness, recalling Honoré Daumier's fate.
- Monet underwent cataract surgery in January 1923 after years of using drops and glasses.
- The operation partially restored his sight but he refused surgery on his left eye.
- Monet's late works, especially the water lilies, show a shift toward abstraction due to his altered vision.
- He died on December 5, 1926, with Georges Clemenceau at his bedside.
- The 19 Nymphéas panels were donated by his son Michel and installed at the Musée de l'Orangerie.
- The exhibition opened on May 27, 1927, as the Claude Monet Museum.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Musée de l'Orangerie
- Museum of Fine Art, Boston
- National Museum of Cardiff
- National Gallery, London
- Museum of Modern Art, New York
- Kunsthaus Zürich
- Musée Marmottan-Monet
- Museum Marmottan
- Beaux-Arts
- NASA
- Kitt Peak Observatory
Locations
- Giverny
- Paris
- France
- Venice
- Italy
- Boston
- MA
- USA
- Cardiff
- UK
- London
- New York
- NY
- Zürich
- Switzerland
- Arizona