Artists Anticipate First-Ever Claude Monet Exhibition In Denver
DENVER (CBS4) - Thea Bland is perhaps Claude Monet's biggest fan.
"I was just at Monet's home about a year ago," she said. "I cried all the way through the entire tour."
As an artist herself, Bland said she has traveled the world to see some of Monet's paintings.
"He was a huge influence on me and actually my artwork today," Bland told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann while touring the Denver Art Museum (DAM).
Come next fall, Bland won't have to venture very far to see her favorite legendary artist.
"This will be the first ever in Denver to focus solely on Claude Monet," Angelica Daneo, Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the DAM, said.
The DAM is gearing up to open "Claude Monet – The Truth of Nature." After years of reaching out to public institutions and private collectors around the globe to loan pieces, the museum will have dozens of Monet paintings on display.
The rare exhibition will fill three galleries, featuring work that spans the artist's entire career.
"This is actually the most comprehensive exhibition on Claude Monet in the U.S. in over two decades," Daneo said. "There's going to be more than 100 paintings in this exhibition, from the very first painting he exhibited in 1858 to one of the last that he painted a few months before dying in 1926."
Among the many works coming to Denver, Monet's iconic 'Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge.' Daneo said the exhibit is a chance for art lovers to see many Monet masterpieces, but also an unique opportunity for people to learn.
"If you don't know who Claude Monet is, come check it out because there's a reason why it's such a known artist," Daneo said. "There's a reason artists were influenced by him and why he is still so relevant."
"Claude Monet – The Truth of Nature" comes to the DAM on Oct. 20, 2019 through Feb. 2, 2020. Bland said she'll likely be the first in line.
"I'm sure I will have the weeping again," she said with a laugh.
Group tickets to the exhibit will go on sale this December. Individual tickets will be sold at a later date.
LINK: Denver Art Museum Claude Monet Exhibit
Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team as the morning reporter in 2012. After serving as weekend morning anchor, Kelly is now Covering Colorado First for CBS4 News at 10. Connect with Kelly on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KellyCBS4.
