Haystacks at Giverny

Haystacks is one of Monet’s series of paintings consisting of about 25 pieces, all depicting stacks of hay left in the field after harvesting. The artist began the paintings at the end of the summer of 1890 and continued until the next spring. The harvests near his home in Giverny, France served as his inspiration. Because of the repetitiveness of the subject matter in this series, Monet was not so much concerned about the haystacks themselves as he was intrigued by the differences in light and color surrounding the haystacks in the different seasons, time of day, and weather. The paintings are now held in galleries, museums, and private collections around the world and are some of his most notable works.