Monet's flower power on offer

Nympheas, or water lilies, depicted by Claude Monet are among the most iconic painted images in history.

When Monet designed and constructed that botanic garden and tranquil pond at his residence in Giverny, in the 1890s, he probably didn't anticipate that he would create a colossal work of nympheas paintings spanning three decades until his death, and that the species blooming on the reflective surface of water would become a timeless motif in art and much beloved by people around the world.

It is believed that Monet captured the image of some 300 water lilies, some of which were done in his 80s. He was able to present the vibrancy of plants, the changes of light in open air and the subtlety of the changing atmosphere of the environment — the garden and the pond.

Monet concentrated his gaze on the surface of the pond, eschewing traditional perspective. This led to a dazzling, disintegrating, and for the time radically daring, vision. Monet's water lilies become one of the primary reasons for visiting a show or a museum, not only because he showed the beauty and vigor of nature but also because people are touched by the efforts of an aging artist rarely satisfied with what he painted, to challenge his physical limits with the power of the brush and the mind.

The bulk of Monet's water lilies have been at museums of repute in various countries. And for a private collection to offer one for sale is guaranteed to draw attention. One such artwork will appear at a Christie's sale in Hong Kong, in late September.

Nympheas, painted around 1897 and 1899, about 1 meter in width, will be shown in Shanghai this weekend.