"Shortly before daybreak, the birds began to chirp. Then, the first rays of the sun appeared, their large fingers of light stretched out towards our garden. I didn't move, frozen by the night. Dawn was blowing its fresh breath over the pond which exhaled mysterious fumaroles. I then saw the water lilies, these little botanical clocks which float on the water, delicately opening their porcelain petals. I was still waiting to warm myself up before going for a walk here and there, as I usually do every morning."
This is how Béatrice Fontanel's text begins. But who is this little spy who has a breathtaking view of the house, the garden, and allows us to discover Claude Monet at work as we have never seen him up close. She "has very large eyes", "exceptional vision" and takes refuge on water lilies? "Different wings, [a] fine, midnight blue, metallic body", did you find it?...
From the end of the 1890s until his death in 1926, the painter devoted himself mainly to the cycle of Water Lilies , of which the Musée de l'Orangerie has a unique collection. World-famous works; we will discover or rediscover them by diving into this thrilling story wonderfully illustrated by Alexandra Huard who has carried out impressive documentation work. Four final double-page documentaries connect the work, archive photos and illustrations to go further and discover Monet's secrets.
From 3 years old
French
64 pages
Co-publishing Seuil Jeunesse / Musée de l'Orangerie
