Claude Monet, one hundred years of beauty

The centenary of Claude Monet’s death becomes the occasion for a major tribute to the Master of Impressionism. From February 7 to May 24, 2026, the Artizon Museum in Tokyo presents the exhibition Monet: Questioning Nature, bringing together around 140 works including paintings, photographs, prints and decorative objects, with loans from leading international and Japanese institutions. At the core of the exhibition are forty-one masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, joined by works that trace the painter’s career from the early seascapes of Le Havre to the celebrated Water Lilies of Giverny. The display unfolds around the places that shaped Monet’s artistic journey: Argenteuil, Vétheuil, Paris, London and Normandy, leading to the gardens of Giverny, where painting became a meditation on light and time. Alongside the paintings, contemporary materials such as Japanese ukiyo-e prints and Art Nouveau objects illustrate the cultural influences that nourished his vision. The exhibition also includes a contemporary homage: a video installation by Ange Leccia that translates the Impressionist universe into digital language. Among the most anticipated works are Study of a Figure Outdoors: Woman with Parasol Facing Right, Hôtel des Roches Noires, Trouville, The Magpie, The Luncheon shown in Japan for the first time, Saint-Lazare Station, London, Houses of Parliament: Effect of Sunlight in the Fog, Irises in Monet’s Garden e Pond of Waterlilies from the Artizon Museum’s collection. Together they offer a comprehensive portrait of his research, from the dialogue with urban modernity to the contemplative silence of natural landscapes. Monet: Questioning Nature is not merely a retrospective but an invitation to reflect on the relationship between humanity and nature. The vibrant brushstrokes that capture fleeting atmospheres become a testimony to suspended time, while the combination of historical works and contemporary language underscores the relevance of an artist who continues to challenge perception and vision.