Irises

1914–17

Irises is one of a series of paintings Monet undertook during World War I experimenting with familiar motifs on an ever-expanding scale. Lacking a discernible horizon or clear sense of depth, the viewer is both on top of and submerged its encrusted and disorienting surface. This work remained in Monet's studio long after his death in 1926 and was only rediscovered in the 1950s, having suffered damage by shrapnel from shells during World War II.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926)

Date

1914–17

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

200 × 200.7 cm (78 3/4 × 79 in.); Framed: 203.8 × 204.5 × 6.4 cm (80 1/4 × 80 1/2 × 1 1/2 in.)

Origin

France

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Art Institute Purchase Fund