Journey through artist Claude Monet’s mind, art at New Orleans immersive experience

Kenny Lopez
·2 min read
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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Fans of French impressionist artist Claude Monet’s work can now immerse themselves in a new watercolor experience that takes them on a journey through the artist’s mind.

“It is an immersive experience into the life of Claude Monet, one of the greatest French painters of all time, the founder of impressionism,” said Executive Producer of “Claude Monet: The Immersive Experience” John Zaller.

Zaller said Monet’s art is synonymous with romance. His brushstrokes delicately portray the interplay of light, color and nature creating dreamlike landscapes.

“Monet saw the world differently. Photography was invented around the time Monet was born. People were like painting is dead and Monet said not so fast. A photograph can show you what something looks like, but a painting can show you how it feels,” Zaller said.

Step inside a Vincent van Gogh painting in New Orleans

“In the first gallery it goes into more details of Monet’s life as well as the times he lived in. For example, there were a bunch of new theories coming out, one of them being about optics, and one of them is about how we put colors together,” he said.

One of the other galleries, part of the experience is the “Garden of Giverny” to reflect Monet’s famous painting.

“We re-created one of his Japanese bridges, and you feel like you are at one of his gardens which inspired him over his lifetime. In this room we even take you to Monet’s ponds that include projections of koi fish and lily pads,” Zaller said.

Another gallery includes Monet’s Atelier at Giverny.

“This is the place where he came for over 30 years after his travels around Europe, and this is where he’d finish his paintings,” Zaller said. “He was really moved by colors and the beauty of the world. He also had a lot of different loves of his life.”

There’s a romanticism to Monet’s work and one room visitors are sure to fall in love with is the immersive gallery.

“7000-square-feet where 400 of his famous paintings come to life. There are a lot of his first caricatures that he drew when he was living in Paris and trying to make it as a starving artist,” he said.

Rounding out the experience, guests can make their own Monet masterpiece, and experience modern Monet in virtual reality.

“Claude Monet: The Immersive Experience” officially opens on Thursday, March 7.

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