Villas at Bordighera

On his first extended visit to the Riviera in 1884, Claude Monet was fascinated by the splendid colors and the exoticism of Mediterranean plants. In the north-Italien coastal town of Bordighera he painted the garden of the Villa Garnier, which the architect of the Paris Opera had constructed there for himself. By shifting the palm tree to the center of the picture, he understated the work of the famous architect.