In 1883, Monet settled in the village of Giverny, about forty miles from Paris, and purchased a house there in 1890. Shortly thereafter, he acquired an additional plot of land, where he constructed a picturesque water garden. A Japanese bridge spanned the pond at its narrowest point. In 1899, he began a series of eighteen views of the wooden footbridge over the pond. Even during his later creative years the water lily pond at Giverny remained for Monet an important source of inspiration, since he could record the colours as they changed according to the light at different times of the day or in different seasons.
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