This painting, included in Claude Monet's original "Water Lilies" series, was recently restored (pictured on the right) by the museum's restoration team over the course of a year. Images: Courtesy of Portland Art Museum
A new exhibition at the Portland Art Museum featuring one of artist Claude Monet's most famous masterpieces opened this past weekend.
🖼️ The latest: The painting, part of Monet's iconic "Water Lilies" series, is just one of more than 250 the artist created in his final years at home in Giverny, France.
Yes, but: This one hasn't been seen by the public in its original state for more than six decades.
It was carefully restored inch-by-inch, peeling back its surface layer without the use of varnish, by PAM conservators in the museum's new basement conservation studio over the last year to reveal its original brilliance.
🌊 Zoom in: Also on display are Japanese woodblock prints from artists like Toyokuni and Hiroshige — works Monet and his fellow impressionists were deeply inspired by them when crafting their own re-creations of nature.
Plus: Historical photos of our own Japanese garden will be on view, too.
If you go: The Portland Art Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
This upcoming Free First Thursday will feature two hands-on workshops inspired by the "Water Lilies" exhibition.
