By the time the artist turned 72, he had developed cataracts in both eyes and only sought out surgery years later. This caused him to see the world differently since cataracts affect vision and color. Monet saw the world through reds and yellows, apparent in his paintings depicting prominent red and yellow hues from 1912 onwards. After Monet received surgery, it has been speculated that he could see colors found on the ultraviolet spectrum.