“These landscapes of water and reflections have become my obsession. They are quite beyond the powers of an old man, and despite everything I want to succeed in conveying what I feel.” — Claude Monet, 1883.

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There’s something magical about a Monet painting. Just one look and you’re transported to a place of peace, whether it’s a hillside filled with wildflowers or a pond overflowing with flora.

In no time, the sense of calm that pervaded Monet’s work will envelop you, too.

Through May 12, the Cincinnati Art Museum celebrates the talents of the renowned 19th-century impressionist painter with “Monet in Giverny: Landscapes of Reflection,” a retrospective comprising a dozen of his most famous images — including the iconic images of the Japanese footbridge, water lilies and wisteria.

“Monet’s work truly appeals to the senses,” muses Benedict Leca, the Cincinnati Art Museum’s curator of European Painting, Sculpture and Drawing. “From the very beginning of his career, he understood reflection. His early work is defined by shimmering, moving water.

“But,” the curator adds, “in later years, the artist shifted to a more contemplative, reflective practice. The crispness he used to depict fleeting light conditions in early works gave way to a preoccupation with pattern, overall effect and visual impact.”

The result: a mood that’s irresistible.

This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.