Claude Monet: The Japanese Footbridge 1,000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926)

The Japanese Footbridge (detail), 1899

The reflective surface of the pond, like the atmospheric envelope Monet wrapped around the cathedrals and other series subjects, unified his canvases. The sky has already disappeared from this painting; the lush foliage rises all the way to the horizon and space is flattened by the decorative arch of the bridge. Our attention is forced onto the paint itself and held there, not drawn into the scene depicted. In later lily pond paintings, even more of the setting will evaporate, and the water’s surface alone will occupy the entire canvas. Floating lily pads and mirrored reflections assume equal stature, blurring distinctions between solid objects and transitory effects of light. Monet had always been interested in reflections, seeing their fragmented forms as the natural equivalent of his own broken brushwork.

Published with the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Completed puzzle: 20 x 25 inches

Member Price: $22.46