Claude Monet’s Water Lilies murals at the Musée de l’Orangerie comprise eight large panels.
The murals are installed in two connected oval rooms in Paris. Monet designed the arrangement as an immersive environment, surrounding visitors with broad views of water, reflections, plants, and changing light rather than presenting a single conventional scene.
Monet offered the panels to France after the First World War. The installation was completed after his death and opened to the public in 1927. The museum’s presentation follows his wish that the paintings create a calm, continuous experience.
The Orangerie murals are part of Monet’s much larger Water Lilies project, which includes many separate canvases in museums and private collections. The eight panels at the Orangerie should not be confused with the total number of Water Lilies paintings.