The blank patches left in the corners of water lilies, are a testament both to the troubled process of creating the painting, and the troubled nature of Monet’s mind. Some argue that Monet purposefully left parts of the painting incomplete, with small patches of bare and exposed canvas. Critics suggest that he had done so in order to scupper the deal that he had made to donate the paintings to the state in the aftermath of WWI. However, despite this self-sabotage, following his death in 1926, the donation was finally made, and the Orangerie gallery opened in 1927. Monet suffered from many symptoms that we would today recognize as depression. He was fatigued, lacked appetite, stayed in his bedroom all day long, and suffered severe bouts of self-doubt and anguish. In trying to create something revolutionary, he was troubled by the disconnect between the images in his head and what appeared on the canvas.