By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Put away the paint brush, because art lovers and LEGO enthusiasts can now build their own Impressionist masterpiece, brick by brick.
The LEGO Group announced Tuesday a collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art to release the LEGO Art ‘Claude Monet – Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies’ set, a 3,179-piece recreation of the French master’s 1899 painting that now resides in The Met’s collection.
The set, which retails for $249.99 (£179.99/€199.99), transforms Monet’s iconic garden scene from Giverny, France into a textured LEGO creation featuring flowers, butterflies, fruit, verdant trees, and the famous Japanese bridge that anchors the composition. It comes with a built-in wall hanger for display.
“Translating Monet’s brushstrokes into LEGO bricks was a key design challenge,” says Stijn Oom, LEGO Designer. “The team meticulously created a tactile 3D surface by layering tiles and plates in both vertical and horizontal directions, mimicking the brushwork and carefully adapting Monet’s subtle palette of hues within LEGO’s signature colour options.
“Reimagining the nuance of the original work in LEGO bricks required certain elements of the work to be abstracted, all while preserving essential details of the composition to evoke Monet’s signature artistic style,” Oom added. “The build transforms with viewing distance: individual pixels and textures are visible up close, resolving into a peaceful Impressionist landscape from afar, mirroring the nature of Monet’s later works.”
Starting March 1, Met visitors will also be able to pose inside a larger-than-life LEGO reproduction of the painting at The Met Store, and an exclusive podcast featuring curator Alison Hokanson will be available to enhance the building experience. The museum is also displaying new photography of the LEGO set captured at Monet’s actual garden in Giverny.
This partnership continues LEGO’s artistic building streak. In 2022, the Danish toymaker collaborated with Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum to release a LEGO set featuring “The Starry Night,” Van Gogh’s swirling 1889 masterpiece. That 2,316-piece set allowed builders to recreate the painting’s distinctive post-impressionist style and included a mini figure of Van Gogh himself, complete with palette and easel.
The Monet set will be available for LEGO Insiders early access on March 1, with general availability beginning March 4 at LEGO.com/WaterLilies, LEGO stores, and select retailers.