Claude Monet was the head of the French Impressionist era, and he practically gave the group its title. He was instrumental in drawing its believers together as an inspiring personality and presence.
The waters and rugged coastlines of Northern France had an early impact on him, and he would often not attend classes to go on hikes along the bluffs and dunes.
Throughout his lengthy career, he was the most continuous and prominent exponent of impressionism’s theory of conveying one’s feelings as being more important than the accurate depiction of nature.
In 1856, Monet met Eugéne Boudin, a landscape painter known for his landscapes of northern French seaside villages. Boudin urged Monet to create outside, and the en plein air approach changed his feelings about how art might be generated.
Monet was obligated to serve his time in the army and was sent to Algiers in 1861. The ambiance in Northern Africa inspired Monet and greatly influenced his artistic and personal viewpoint.
Monet's second wife, Alice, died in 1911, and his son passed away the year after. Monet almost completely stopped painting following these tragic events, the aftermath of World War I, and even the formation of a cyst over one of his eyes.
Monet died of lung cancer on the 5th of December, 1926, aged 86, and was laid to rest at the Giverny church burial site. He insisted on keeping the celebration modest, so only about fifty people attended.
Monet was only recognized in a few groups of art aficionados for many years after his death. Monet’s paintings attract high valuations, and some are regarded as priceless; in fact, Monet’s art is housed in every major museum on the globe.
Monet's loose manner and use of color have been regarded as “nearly ethereal” and the “exemplar of impressionist technique”. Monet was interested in the effects of light.
Women in the Garden (1867)Westminster Bridge (1871)Woman with a Parasol (1875)Grainstacks, end of day, Autumn (1891)Rouen Cathedral: The Facade at Sunset (1894)Charing Cross Bridge (1899)Water Lilies (1919)