I Went to T.J. Maxx for Bread Pans and Bought the Viral Monet Art Instead

If you haven’t seen the TikTok Viral Monet and Van Gogh paintings at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, let me be the first to bring them to your attention. This series of art comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and frame colors, making it a great addition to your home if you’re a fan of impressionist art.  

I’m Not a Person Who Buys Viral Things

I had seen the viral videos on my feed and thought “there’s no way I’ll get one of these.” I’m normally not the kind of person who runs to my nearest store to get a viral item; I live in New York City, and chances are things are usually gone by the time I finally reach the store. But these paintings lived in my brain rent-free for about a week before I finally decided to make my way to T.J. Maxx.

I’ll be honest with you: I really went to peruse their cookware section for a set of bread pans. My nearest T.J. Maxx is small, with an even smaller art section, so even though the paintings were in the back of my mind, I fully believed they wouldn’t be at the store once I got there.  Plus, I had no intention of battling any other patrons who might be on the hunt for one of these as well.

Finding the bread pans was easy, and with only one free hand to shop with I made my way over to the art section and saw one single Monet piece—and it was the perfect size to go over my entryway table. 

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What Sold Me 

I almost hesitated to buy it. It was on a high shelf and, from my viewpoint, looked heavy, the kind of heavy that you’d expect a painting with a sturdy frame to be. I asked my boyfriend to grab it for me so I could get a closer look and to his and my surprise, it was extremely light. 

That’s all I needed. It was the perfect size, it seemed light enough that I could hang it up in a renter-friendly way, and I just loved the scene in the painting. The painting was only $40—which I thought was a steal for something this size—and looked like really great quality despite being an imitation of the original.

I honestly wish that there were more in the store, because the biggest draw of this collection is that it makes a super easy and curated-looking gallery wall if you put them all together. 

Regardless, I’m extremely happy with my purchase. I think we need some just a little whimsical sometimes and this was the perfect dose of whimsy to add to my home. Even if I don’t have the other pieces in the collection, the one I have is the perfect focal point to build my own gallery wall around, and I can’t wait to get started.