Standing Before Beauty
Friday 19th June
The Water Lilies rooms were designed by Claude Monet as a space for meditation. In order to respect his wishes, you are asked to view this exceptional work in silence.
On a recent visit to Paris, i had the joy of visiting Monet’s Water Lilies on permanent display in Paris. One of the great masterpieces, they still take your breath away 100+ years after they were painted. Designed to be viewed in the spirit of a meditation, silence is requested - there are not many places in the world where this explicit request is made and supported, with museum staff asking for silence regularly throughout the hour.
It's becoming more and more of a challenge to find silence, and yet we long for the Stillness that comes without speaking. I observed how difficult it was for so many visitors to behold the Work without talking and taking photos, and missing the breathlessness that comes from Standing before Beauty.