Yellow Irises, 1924 by Claude Monet

Iris is a favorite subject matter for many impressionism artists. This painting's strength lies in Monet's use of color. The brilliance of the yellow flower is enhanced by being placed against a strong blue background. The heads of the flowers form parallel horizontal lines to counter the vertical green lines, and the plant exists entirely in isolation.

The simplicity of Yellow Irises coupled with the grid formation used gives it an oriental tone. By choosing a flower as a subject set against a single-color background, the effects of Monet's interest in Japanese art can be seen. Several of Monet's paintings of flowers have these traditional Japanese elements within them, just like Irises by Vincent van Gogh.