In 1955 The Museum of Modern Art became the first public collection in the United States to acquire one of Claude Monet's large-scale paintings of his Japanese-style pond and garden in Giverny, France. Today, works from this same series are among the most beloved pieces in the Museum's collection. These include the mural-sized triptych Water Lilies (1914–26) and a single panel painting, Water Lilies (1914–26), as well as The Japanese Footbridge (c. 1920–22) and Agapanthus (1914-26), depicting the majestic plants in the pond's vicinity. This lively volume recounts the history of Monet's Water Lilies at the Museum- including the destruction of two works in a fire in 1958—and underscores the paintings' resonance with the art and artists of the last half-century. 48 pp.; 35 illus.