Claude Monet (1840-1926) once claimed that Venice was “too beautiful to be painted,” a challenge he embraced by creating an extraordinary sequence of works depicting la Serenissima. Monet and Venice at the Brooklyn Museum reunites many of these paintings, a lesser-known chapter in the artist’s late career. Featuring more than 100 artworks, books, and ephemera, the exhibition is anchored by two masterpieces: the Brooklyn Museum’s own The Doge’s Palace and The Grand Canal, Venice from the Fine Arts Museums of San
Francisco where the exhibition travels after Brooklyn. These paintings are joined by nearly twenty of Monet’s Venetian paintings from collections worldwide, presented alongside selections from throughout his career. The artist’s impressionist vision of Venice is hung in dialogue with portrayals of the city by renowned artists such as Canaletto, Édouard Manet, John Singer Sargent, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Monet’s paintings of Venice are devoid of human presence. Instead, he captures the interplay of architecture with color and light, enveloping viewers in the city’s distinctive atmosphere upon the sea. Prof. Thomas Germano will present a visual lecture based on the Brooklyn Museum’s exhibition Monet and Venice running from October 11,2025 through February 1, 2026.