From 1883 to 1926, Claude Monet made his garden at Giverny one of his finest horticultural masterpieces. This interest in the outdoors was widely shared by those around him. Blanche Hoschedé-Monet made the garden at Giverny and the surrounding landscapes the main subject of his work. Nature was the subject of another passion for his brother Jean-Pierre, who created a vast herbarium, aided by his half-brother Michel, whose collections were particularly concentrated in the Giverny region.

By revealing this herbarium, which remained unknown until today, this book allows us to examine the paintings of Claude Monet and Blanche Hoschedé-Monet through a combined perspective, combining botany and art history, shedding new light on the history of Impressionism.

Rouen, Natural History Museum, April – September 2020