After Claude Monet's death on December 5, 1926, his collections and paintings, along with his property in Giverny, were inherited by his son, Michel Monet. Opting to go on an African safari, Michel left the care of the house and garden to Blanche Monet-Hoschedé, who was assisted by Mr. Lebret, the Head Gardener. When Monet-Hoschedé passed away in 1947, the house and gardens were sadly neglected.

Upon Michel Monet's death in 1966, without any heirs, all his possessions were donated to the Fine Arts Academy. However, the Academy lacked the financial resources needed for restoration. Jacques Carlu, a member of the Academy, decided to house a collection of original paintings and engravings from the Marmottan Museum while the roof of the Giverny house was being repaired.

Gérald Van der Kemp became the owner and manager of the Giverny property following Carlu's death in 1977. He discovered the house and gardens in a state of disrepair: weeds were everywhere, windows were broken, rust covered the railings ...

Despite the financial support from the Fine Arts Academy and the General Council of Eure, it wasn't enough. Van der Kemp and his wife appealed to American patrons who admired Monet's work, and their generous donations enabled the restoration to commence.

The restoration took three years. The house, workshops, furniture, and prints were all restored, and the garden was rejuvenated. The Japanese bridge was reconstructed as a replica of the original. Dead trees were removed, and plants favored by Monet were replanted. The pond's banks were reinforced with sheet piling, and the garden pathways were resurfaced with cement and bordered with bricks.

The Claude Monet Foundation in Giverny was officially established in 1980, and it opened to the public on June 1 of that year. Since then, the Claude Monet Foundation has welcomed nearly 500,000 visitors annually from around the globe, making it the second most-visited tourist site in Normandy, after Mont Saint Michel. Following Van der Kemp's death in 2001, his wife Florence managed the Claude Monet Foundation until her death in 2008. Hugues Gall, elected by the Fine Arts Academy, has been the Director of the Claude Monet Foundation since then.

Without the efforts of the Claude Monet Foundation, Monet's beautiful house and gardens might have been lost. Thanks to their work, visitors can now explore Giverny and experience the inspiration behind Monet's art.