Replicas of Monet’s 25 Zaan paintings can be seen in the Monet Atelier in Zaandam. A number of those replicas were made by renowned Zaanse artists. The collection of paintings offers a unique look at Monet’s work and at the same time an impression of Zaandam in 1871.

Monet painted twenty-four landscapes and one portrait during this period. The Zaanse paintings are the first large group of works of one location and one uninterrupted period. Back in France, Monet applied this method more and more. This resulted in famous series such as the corn mites, the poplars along the river l’Epte, the cathedral of Rouen and the water lilies in Giverny.

Monet is just in time to capture old Zaandam, when the mills were still milling and the ships were still sailing. The industrial revolution, which then started in almost all of Europe, will within a few years change forever the characteristic windmill landscape of the Zaan region, as Monet observed it, due to the rise of steam engines.

But the Monet Atelier is much more than a presentation space. The studio is a constantly evolving, inspiring location, a breeding ground for new ideas and a meeting point for Monet enthusiasts. It functions as an information point and knowledge center about Monet in Zaandam, the starting point for Monet Walks, the location for further research into the relationship between Monet and Zaandam, painting workshops and lectures.