Claude Monet underwent cataract surgery on his right eye in 1923.
Monet developed cataracts in both eyes, a condition that increasingly altered his perception of color and detail. He was reluctant to undergo surgery and continued working while his vision deteriorated. The paintings from this period often have heavier reds and browns, although scholars debate how directly every change can be attributed to cataracts.
After surgery on his right eye in 1923, Monet’s sight improved in that eye, but the outcome was not entirely straightforward. He disliked the altered color balance produced by corrective lenses and at times chose not to wear them.
The operation took place late in his career, after the large Water Lilies decorations had already become a central artistic project. Monet died in 1926, three years after the surgery.