Villas at Bordighera

And yet it was painted in his studio in Giverny, from a smaller painting executed on the site (Villas at Bordighera, The Santa Barbara Museum of Art). Monet intended to use the painting for a large decorative panel for Berthe Morisot's drawing room. Early in 1884, Morisot told her sister Edma: "I am starting to get close to my Impressionist friends. Monet is determined to give me a panel for my drawing room. You can imagine how pleased I am to accept it." This work catches the bright light of the Mediterranean and the painter's fascination for the landscapes of this region.