National Treasures

Monet’s The Water-Lily Pond was at the heart of an exhibition about appreciating and depicting nature, landscapes, and gardens. Key loans and artworks from York’s collection were brought together to explore a variety of themes, including the evolution of French open-air painting during the 19th century. Monet’s lifelong fascination with Japanese art was illustrated though a selection of woodblock prints by Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige from the British Museum.

Monet’s masterpiece was presented in the context of the Giverny gardens, which he captured in hundreds of canvases. The exhibition also highlighted the influence of Monet on the development of modern art through works by artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Bridget Riley. A striking new commission by contemporary artist Michaela Yearwood-Dan drew direct inspiration from both ‘The Water-Lily Pond’ and Japanese prints.

Artist Sam Metz collaborated with Pinc College, a creative college for neurodivergent students, to create a tactile response to some of the artworks. Guided meditations developed by Louise Thompson from Mindful Museums were designed to encourage reflection. York Art Gallery invited audiences to enjoy nature by heading outdoors to see a new wildflower meadow, inspired by Monet’s ‘Poppy Fields near Argenteuil’. Art frames from part of an open-air family trail which provides different perspectives around the gardens, encouraged everyone to sketch and paint in the open air.