- Written by Madelaine Bullwinkel
At Monet's Table
The daily lives of the impressionist painters were very much on display in their work. The subjects they chose - family, friends, domestic scenes - give us a glimpse of French middle-class society near end of the 19th century. Only rarely are we able to view an artist's private life as if we were family. The carefully crafted world Claude Monet created at Giverny is one such splendid example.
Before you visit, I recommend you read the short memoir of life at Giverny described in Monet’s Table. (The author, Claire Joyes, is the wife of Mme. Monet’s great-grandson.) There you discover that Monet kept cooking journals and directed a two acre kitchen garden. Today, he would be called a ‘foodie’ although I prefer the French word, gourmand.