The Allure of Painting Water Lilies
A Collection of Historic and Contemporary Work
Water Lilies 1895 Isaac Levitan
Monet rules on-line searches for “water lily paintings”. It’s difficult to scroll past all the citations for articles about his nymphaea masterpieces. Not only did Monet present a new way of seeing and painting, he also featured in his monumental water lily paintings recently hybridized and therefore little-known varieties of the exotic flowers. But artists beyond Monet have also been mesmerized by the water lily. Floating on a reflective water surface, the subject lures artists with the challenges of capturing light bouncing off water, leaves breaking the surface, translucent depths giving glimpses of stems and roots - a cornucopia of intertwining imagery.
We were interested in looking at the different interpretations of the water lily other artists had created. We put together this collection of paintings by historic artists and those by some of our favorite contemporary artists—all inspired by the water lily.
Historical Water Lily Paintings
American Water Lily William Jacob Hays
Still Life with Water Lily 1872 David Johnson
Forest Lake with Blooming Water Lilies and Insects Anthonore Christensen
Water Lilies on the Marne Henri Biva
Water Lilies 1878 Theodore Robinson
Brood of Ducklings Among Yellow Water Lilies 1917 Bruno Liljefors
Forest Pond with Water Lilies Walter Moras
Pink Water Lily 1920 Joseph Stella
Red Water Lily of Southern India 1878 Marianne North
Pond with Water Lilies 1893 Julius Klever
Water Lilies 1895 Mikhail Vrubel
Water Lilies Blanche Horschede Monet
Water Lilies Abbott Handerson Thayer
Water Lily Among Pads 1879 John La Farge
Water Lilies (Nenuphar) 1895 Isaac Levitan
Water Lily Study for the Youth and a Mermaid Albert Edelfelt
Water Lily ca. 1910 Vaclav Radimsky
Yerres on the Pond, Water Lilies. 1871-78 Gustave Caillebotte
Contemporary Water Lily Paintings
Howard Friedland
Morning in Giverny 24 x 30” Oil © Howard Friedland
Best of Show at the 2008 Oil Painters of America National Show
Le Bateau au Repos (Boat at Rest) 16 x 20” © Howard Friedland
Finalist in the Raymar Online Competition
Meditation 24 x 18” © Howard Friedland
See more of Howard Friedland’s work here.
Mary Pettis
The Enchanted Lake - Lilies under the Footbridge 28 x 48” © Mary Pettis
The Cycle of Lilies 29 x 48” © Mary Pettis
Placido 28 x 48” © Mary Pettis
Time Stands Still 48 x 30” © Mary Pettis
See more of Mary Pettis’s work here.
Marc Dalessio
Water Lilies (sight size painting) Marc Dalessio
See more of Marc Dalessio’s work here.
Matthew Richter
You Have Changed 40 x 30” © Matthew Richter
The Glow 18 x 40” © Matthew Richter
See more of Matthew Richter’s work here.
John Hulsey
Nymphaea II 21 x 27” WC © John Hulsey
Nymphaea III 21 x 27” WC © John Hulsey
See more of John Hulsey’s work here.