Their masterworks have inspired me, but what inspired them? The painters, writers, and poets of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries often took their inspiration from many real places that can still be visited today. Their work can be seen in museums around the world, listened to in concert halls, or read from the enjoyment of your own couch. But to witness firsthand the beauty that inspired these artists, you might need to do some traveling.
Hebrides, Scotland
Listening to The Hebrides Overture by composer Felix Mendelssohn, it’s hard not to imagine you feel a sea breeze playing in your hair. When Mendelssohn returned from a trip to Scotland in 1829, he carried back with him the beginning ideas for a new concert overture. By 1832 Mendelssohn had written a version of the piece he was satisfied with, which encapsulated the mysterious caves, towering cliffs, playful seabirds, and rolling waves of the Hebrides, the islands guarding the western coast of Scotland.
Giverny, France
The town of Giverny, France, about 50 miles outside of Paris, was the residence of the impressionist painter Claude Monet. He found joy in curating and tending his garden, but also found inspiration for some of his most famous works of art. About nine years after moving to Giverny, Monet expanded his estate with a Japanese-inspired water garden and bridge. After filling the pond with water lilies, Monet was inspired and began his series of water lily paintings. Monet would go on to create around 250 paintings of water lilies which can be seen in museums around the world, especially in the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris.
As a budding artist myself, I was blown away when I visited Monet’s gardens in 2017. It seemed impossible not to be an artist when surrounded by that type of beauty. Understanding why the artist may have felt so inspired requires immersive experiences in the places they visited and lived. As I have traveled, I have felt a similar inspiration to create, and understanding the context of some of the most celebrated works has helped me appreciate the original muses more.
Prince Edward Island, Canada
Prince Edward Island was the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery, and she would feature the beauties of her home heavily in her classic novel, Anne of Green Gables. Although Anne is fictional, the titular house that she called home was not. Green Gables was inspired by the home of Montgomery’s cousins, about a mile away from her own residence. Visitors to Prince Edward Island can see beautiful sites that inspired many locations throughout Montgomery’s novels.
Kanagawa, Japan
One of the most famous works of art, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, is a woodblock print by the artist Katsushika Hokusai. Surviving original prints can be seen in museums around the world. But the original view of Mount Fuji that Hokusai captured can only be seen from Kanagawa, Japan. The print was part of a series of prints that Hokusai created of Mount Fuji from different angles.