Monet's Venetian Paintings Exhibition Opens at de Young Museum in San Francisco

An exhibition titled 'Monet and Venice' is currently on view at the de Young museum in San Francisco, featuring over twenty works by French Impressionist Claude Monet inspired by his 1908 visit to Venice. This marks the first dedicated showcase of Monet's Venetian paintings since their initial presentation in Paris more than a century ago. The exhibition, co-organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Brooklyn Museum, includes notable pieces such as 'The Doge's Palace' and 'The Grand Canal, Venice,' on loan from both institutions. Monet traveled to Venice in October 1908 at age 68 with his wife Alice, extending his planned short stay to two months and producing more than one hundred works, often painted from a gondola. The display contextualizes these Venetian scenes with selections from his broader career, including his 'Water Lilies' series. Curators and museum directors note that these works represent a significant but often overlooked period of creative renewal for the artist, characterized by luminous, atmospheric depictions that differ from the bustling Venetian scenes of his contemporaries. The exhibition also includes works by other artists like Canaletto, J.M.W. Turner, John Singer Sargent, and James McNeill Whistler to illustrate Monet's impact on the city's artistic tradition. The show runs from March 21 to July 26, 2026.