A key figure in the impressionist movement that transformed French painting in the second half of the nineteenth century.
My Artist of Choice:
Claude Monet
(1840–1926)
The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration.
– Claude Monet
Claude Monet, a 19th-century Impressionist, is best known for his serene water lily paintings. Over his long life (1840-1926), he evolved from drawing caricatures to capturing the changing light and color of nature. Monet, along with other Impressionists, aimed to portray reality and the effects of light. He depicted everything from gritty urban scenes to the beauty of his garden in Giverny. Famous in his lifetime, Monet’s influence grew even more in the 20th century, inspiring countless artists and shaping modern art. His unique vision helped define a new artistic direction.
Claude Monet was born in Paris on November 14, 1840, and began drawing as a boy after moving to Normandy. Known for his caricatures, he later met landscape artist Eugene Bodin, who introduced him to painting outdoors. Monet returned to Paris to study at the Academie Suisse, where he learned traditional techniques of sketching outside and painting indoors.
Unsatisfied with this method, Monet chose to paint entirely outdoors, capturing the fleeting effects of natural light. This shift in approach, along with the invention of portable paint tubes, helped pave the way for Impressionism.
" My only merit lies in having painted directly in front of nature, seeking to render my impressions before the most fleeting moments. "