What condition affected Claude Monet’s vision late in his life?

Cataracts affected Claude Monet’s vision late in his life.

Monet developed cataracts in both eyes, a condition in which the eye’s lens becomes cloudy and vision becomes blurred or altered. The problem became especially serious during the 1910s and influenced how he perceived color.

He underwent cataract surgery on his right eye in 1923. His vision and color perception changed after treatment, and some later works are discussed in relation to the yellow or reddish cast produced by the cataracts and the adjustment that followed surgery.

It is risky to diagnose individual paintings too confidently from color alone. Monet’s palette also changed because of artistic choices, aging, materials, and working conditions. Still, his cataracts are a well-documented part of the history of his late Water Lilies paintings and his struggle to continue working.