Much of what we have come to expect from this series of work is here - from the placement of the bridge across the centre of the painting, to the way in which the lily pond runs calmly underneath. Trees and shrubbery have become fully settled in this new garden and are begining to take over. Monet does, however, allow a small window of light to appear from the top right of the canvas, when normally the entire sky would be blocked out by trees at the back of the scene. He would normally, therefore, have to rely on light from the left and right, but here we find dabs of paint from the sky at the back then repeated directly on the pond surface itself as a means to create a subtle light reflection effect. Many of the lily plants carry these tones.
Aside from that, we find green in almost everything else, from the rails of the footbridge to the trees and shrubbery that were carefully planted several years ago and are now starting to interact with each other in a more natural setting. Even the architecture is now fully established and blends well within its environment. Beneath we find the water lilies that were the main consideration when he decided to construct a water-based element to his existing garden, as previously he had owned a smaller plot with slightly less ambitious features. He chose to devote more time to his garden and purchased some land in order to expand it considerably, both in terms of size but also in what it offered him as an artist.
This painting gives us white water lilies, something that is an alternative to other paintings from this period. He would normally love the pinks and puples delivered by this plant but had an open mind when it came to colour and also understood how tones of white could allow his work to sparkle, just as light would create splendour within his own garden on a summer's day. There is also a whiter element to the bridge in this example, thanks to a larger amount of light being afforded to the hand rail which sweeps across the canvas, akin to a rainbow or other natural wonder. All-in-all, there is much to appreciate within his work around this period and it serves as an example of what it takes to create a natural looking environment within your own property.
