Late "Lilies" extends MFA's view of Monet

The late-career "Water Lilies" extends the Monet chronology for MFA visitors by about a decade, offering a more complete view of the master's development.

• With 35 paintings, the MFA already boasts one of the largest Monet collections outside France.

The big picture (literally): It's a large-scale piece that showcases Monet's evolution toward abstraction in the final decade before his death in 1926.

• Viewers will notice a more abstract compositional approach than earlier works.

By the numbers: The painting, on loan for the next three years, now anchors the Monet gallery that displays pieces from both the permanent collection and private loans.