Monet’s Paintings Inspired by Venice Now on Display in San Francisco
In October 1908, at the age of 68, the French Impressionist painter Claude Monet made his way to Venice with his second spouse, Alice. This was his first and only visit to the city, but it profoundly impacted him. The breathtaking canals and intricate architecture of Venice inspired over 100 artworks. Currently, the de Young museum in San Francisco is featuring more than 20 of Monet’s Venetian paintings in the first exhibition focused on these works since their initial presentation in Paris more than a century ago.
Following its premiere in Brooklyn, the Monet and Venice exhibition is jointly organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Brooklyn Museum. The works Monet created while inspired by Venice are carefully displayed alongside select pieces from his entire career, including his renowned Water Lilies. Additional significant pieces include The Doge’s Palace and The Grand Canal, Venice, both borrowed from the Brooklyn Museum and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
“Despite the fact that Monet only visited Venice one time, his depictions of the city rank among his most exquisite,” remarked Thomas P. Campbell, director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “In contrast to the lively scenes depicted by other artists, Monet’s Venice appears eerily abandoned, with its structures, buildings, and canals fading into an ethereal light. This exhibition provides a chance to witness Monet’s exquisite interpretation of the renowned Italian city, allowing visitors to gain new insights into an artist they might believe they fully understand.”
Monet was so captivated by Venice that he famously stated he thought the city was “too beautiful to be painted.” Although he initially intended to stay for a few weeks, he ended up staying for two months, frequently rendering his views from a canal gondola, similar to the “studio boat” he utilized earlier in his profession on the Seine.
“His Venetian paintings are counted among the most radiant and lyrical of his oeuvre, yet they often pale in comparison to his representations of the French countryside, as well as his late pieces connected to the emergence of 20th-century abstraction,” noted Melissa E. Buron, director of collections and chief curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, co-curator of the exhibition, and former director of curatorial affairs at the Fine Arts Museums. “His time spent in Venice represented a significant phase of creative revival that has not previously been thoroughly examined until this exhibition.”
The exhibition also features works from other artists who worked in Venice, such as Canaletto, John Singer Sargent, J. M. W. Turner, and James McNeill Whistler. Collectively, they illustrate how Monet ultimately transformed the city’s rich artistic legacy.
Monet and Venice is now open for viewing until July 26, 2026, at de Young. More information about the exhibition can be found on the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco website.
More than 20 of Claude Monet’s paintings of Venice are now showcased at the de Young museum in San Francisco.
Monet was so taken by Venice that he once said he found the city “too beautiful to be painted.”
“The Grand Canal, Venice,” 1908 by Claude Monet
Though he originally planned to stay a few weeks, his stay extended to two months, during which he frequently painted from a canal gondola.
“The Rio della Salute,” 1908 by Claude Monet
“The Doge’s Palace (Palais ducal),” 1908 by Claude Monet
“The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice,” 1908 by Claude Monet
“The Palazzo de Mula, Venice” 1908 by Claude Monet
Monet’s Venice-inspired pieces are effectively presented alongside select works from his extensive career, which includes his celebrated Water Lilies.
“Water Lilies,” ca. 1914-1917 by Claude Monet
Exhibition Information:
Monet and Venice
March 21 – July 26, 2026
de Young
Golden Gate Park
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118
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My Modern Met granted permission to showcase images by Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco / de Young.
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