Exhibit on Monet's prolific Venice visit debuts at Brooklyn Museum

Claude Monet did not want to travel to Venice in 1908 — at the time, he was 68 and working on his famed water lilies paintings, and only reluctantly agreed to accompany his wife Alice Hoschede.

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But his time spent there became one of his most prolific, resulting in 37 paintings, many of which are being put on display at an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

"He fell in love with the city, and he had a wonderful time there with Alice," said exhibit's co-curator Lisa Small.

"They wanted to come back, but Alice became ill and died sadly" in 1911, Small explained. "So he finished these paintings at Giverny in a state of sadness and mourning."