A Cycling Tour of Giverny: Monet's House

Having immersed myself in the riot of colour that is Monet’s Garden, as I shared in my post A Cycling Tour of Giverny: Monet’s Garden, I was now eager to explore his famed house. But before I entered the iconic pink and green abode, I was in need of a restroom.

A Serendipitous Find

As I exited that, I happened upon a small, hand-written sign posted on a window announcing a virtual tour with a resident expert. I had a few minutes before it started so went outside to enjoy the garden a little more. Then I made my way to the allotted meeting place – a pair of cozy sofas located in a corner of what was once Monet’s last atelier – studio – and which now housed the gift shop. There I was greeted warmly by a charming, silver-haired woman who introduced herself as Helen Bordman. We waited for a couple of minutes to see if anyone else would join us. Fortunately for me, I ended up having Helen all to myself that afternoon.

An Enduring Legacy

A vibrant American now in her mid-eighties, she told me that she had been coming to Giverny each spring for over 35 years. In fact, she had founded the volunteer program there and knew some of Monet’s relatives. So I knew I was in good hands. She quickly began regaling me with stories of life at Giverny during the artist’s lifetime. Several of these echoed what I had recently read in Ross King’s wonderful book, Mad Enchantment. It’s the fascinating and dramatic story of the period in which Monet painted the now beloved Nymphéas – Waterlilies.

Helen went on to tell me of the sad state of disrepair that the property had fallen into after Monet’s death. Fortunately, a group of concerned people eventually formed the Fondation Claude Monet and took on the pain-staking effort of restoring the house and gardens to their original beauty.

Monet Treasures

She also gave me some great tips on things to keep an eye out for when visiting the house. Helen was such a wealth of information that I could have spoken to her for hours. Conscious though, that I had limited time before my cycling tour group’s return trip to Paris, I bade her a warm goodbye and set of to explore the house. What I discovered was a unique home filled with the views and art that had inspired Monet. And it also held copies of many of his paintings that mirrored back that beauty.

The bedrooms were filled with personal touches like photographs of Monet and his second wife, Alice Hoschedé. And every wall, in fact, even some doors, were covered with copies of his landscape sketches and still-life’s.

The Japanese prints that Monet loved so much covered the walls of the first of the two sitting rooms. And a cacophony of his own paintings covered those of the second sitting room which had been his original atelier. This former studio also housed a bust of his dearest friend and confident, Georges Clémenceau. Not only was he one of France’s most famous Prime Ministers, he was also instrumental in encouraging Monet to finish, and then gift, a series of les Nymphéas to the city of Paris.

Japanese Inspiration

The Japanese theme continued on in the dining room. Painted a cheerful, daffodil yellow from floor to ceiling, its walls too were covered with Japanese prints. And the blue and white of the tiles of the fireplace and the china nestled in a cabinet gave a hint of the ceramic beauty to come.

Domestic Beauties

And some of those items that Helen encouraged me to keep an eye out for included a couple of lovely wooden egg cabinets hung in the pantry. As well, there were the ceramic floor tiles in a pinwheel pattern reminding me of a cozy quilt and a beautiful treadle sewing machine tucked into a tiny sun room.

Cobalt and Copper

But in my opinion, the kitchen was the pièce de résistance of Monet’s colourful home. With it’s shiny copper pots glowing among the blue and white tiled walls and the cast iron cook-stove, it was a glorious thing to behold. Quintessentially French!

Looking back over these photos, I realize now that, not only did Monet surround his home with gorgeous gardens, he also created them within it.

Having completed my tour of the interior, it was now time for me to visit Monet’s most beloved garden, the Water Garden. You too can visit it in my post A Cycling Tour of Giverny: Monet’s Water Lilies.

Fondation Claude Monet 84 Rue Claude Monet, 27620 Giverny, France

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