Monet's time paintings: open in Paris now, in London from 25 February

You have two chances to see Monet's paintings of time, and one is open now. The Paris show, Monet, painting time, runs until 25 January 2027. A second version opens in London on 25 February 2027 and closes on 27 June.

Tate Modern says it made the show with the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris, home to Monet's last Water Lily paintings. The Paris page names Tate Modern as its co-organiser. Juliet Bingham and Genevieve Barton curate the London show. Cécile Girardeau and Sophie Eloy curate the Paris one.

The context

Monet was born in 1840 and died in 1926, so 2026 marks 100 years since his death. The London museum calls this its first Monet exhibition. The release adds that it will be the UK's largest Monet presentation in nearly a decade.

What each show holds

The Paris show has almost forty paintings, mostly from the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée Marmottan Monet. London shows more than 60 paintings, from the 1870s to the 1920s. That mix includes six Grainstacks works from 1890 and 1891. It also has 20 Water Lily works.

Some Water Lily loans come from Japanese institutions, and Tate says they are rare. Two paintings of the garden bridge come from the National Gallery in London and the Musée Marmottan Monet. Morgan Stanley is the lead supporter in London.

Why time is the theme

The Paris museum presents the Water Lily cycle as an attempt to capture the passing of time. Those paintings hang in its own rooms, so visitors see the show beside the cycle itself. The page also notes that Georges Clemenceau described Monet's Cathedral series in 1895 as a revolution without a shot fired.

I wrote a haystack joke, then lost it, which seems fair.

Planning a visit

Prices and hours differ between the two cities, so check these before you go.

• Paris is open 9.00 to 18.00 on Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, and closed on Tuesday.
• A full Paris ticket costs €12.50, and visitors under 18 get in free.
• Paris Friday evenings, from 18.00 to 21.00, cost €10.
• Residents of the European Economic Area under 26 also enter Paris free.
• London is open daily 10.00 to 18.00, and until 21.00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
• In London, people aged 16 to 25 pay £5 through Tate Collective, which is free to join.

Our view

We think Paris suits anyone who can travel before January, and London suits everyone else. The two versions share a theme but not a loan list, so the paintings will differ.

Would you visit?