PLEIN AIR Heritage
In his later years, Claude Monet (France, 1840–1926) stayed close to home, relying increasingly on his garden at Giverny for inspiration. Due in part to failing eyesight, his work from this period reflects a marked change in the artist’s use of color. His brushstrokes became broader, and his hues darker and muddier, with more browns, yellows, and purples. First diagnosed with cataracts in 1912, the artist carefully adapted his approach to color by memorizing the placement of paint on his palette. In 1923, with only 10 percent of his vision in his left eye and considered legally blind in his right, Monet finally agreed to undergo surgery. The procedure, along with corrective lenses, restored enough vision in his right eye that he was able to return to work in 1924. Although struggles…