One of the most famous paintings in the world has been turned into a Lego set, as impressionist master Claude Monet is celebrated at The Met.
After the Botanicals range of Lego sets become an unexpected hit with adults, Lego has begun to branch out with different themes, that are far removed from the usual spaceships and sports cars.
There are more architectural sets than ever now but also a range of Lego Art, much of which is based on famous paintings from through history. There’s already been Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Sunflowers, as well as the Mona Lisa and The Great Wave.
Now Lego’s first impressionist work has been revealed, made out of nothing but ordinary bricks, and yet the recreation of Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies looks remarkably authentic.
Monet’s Water Lilies is a series of around 250 oil paintings created between 1840 and 1926. Many were painted while he was suffering from cataracts, with the skewed realism helping to inspire the impressionist art movement.
The subject of this Lego set was originally painted in 1899 and is made up of 3,179 Lego pieces, to recreate the water lilies and the bridge in a way that mimics the original painting and its use of colour.
Lego designers have tried to mimic the brushstrokes of the original with their use of different pieces, but the nature of Lego means that the further you get away from it the more coherent the image, whereas when you get closer you can see the individual elements that make it up – just like the real thing.
You also get to build the frame for the painting, which allows it to be hung on your wall, just like the real thing.
Speaking of which, that’s kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (aka The Met) in New York City, where a larger-than-life size recreation of the painting, made entirely out of Lego, will be displayed from March 1 – allowing you to pose behind the bridge and have your photo taken.
At that point The Met’s curator Alison Hokanson will also release a special podcast for the set, that you can listen to while you build it.
Since it’s a big set, with lots of pieces, it’s not cheap but The LEGO Art Claude Monet – Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies (31220) will be available from March 4 for £179.99 from Lego stores and the Lego website.
However, if you’re a Lego VIP member, which requires only a free sign-up, you can purchase the set a few days earlier, on March 1.
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