Around 1897, Monet painted a small set of studies of the pale lilies floating on the dark water. Feeling he had not captured the effect he desired, Monet tried again in July 1899. Over the course of the summer, he worked on 12 canvases, each depicting a view of his pond looking westward toward the Japanese bridge. Monet returned to Giverny in April 1890 and put the finishing touches on the remaining canvases as he waited for the warm weather. Over the summer, he painted six more views of the Japanese bridge. In place of the crisp, scintillating touch of the paintingsof the previous year, he now handled his brush with more freedom and confidence. The cool, pear-like tonality of the paintings of 1899 was now enriched with the warmth of red and violet hues. Monet was an artist who was passionate about cultivating and painting the beauty around him
