Celebrated historian Ross King will delve into the art and life of Claude Monet, an artist whose career changed the course of western art history. Drawing from his new book Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lillies (2016), King paints a nuanced portrait of Monet, arguably the most famous artist of the 20th century. Monet’s water lily paintings conjure visions of peace, beauty and tranquility. However, these majestic canvases were created during a time of war: Monet began work on them only months before the outbreak of WWI. They are also the product of an anguished period in his life, when he was coping with the death of his wife and his deteriorating vision, as well as his artistic self-doubts. This illustrated lecture will examine the impact of these events on his most iconic paintings.