Claude Monet:

 

Here’s a detailed overview of Claude Monet:

Full Name: Oscar-Claude Monet
Lifespan: 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926
Nationality: French
Art Movement: Impressionism

Biography

Claude Monet was a pioneering French painter and one of the founders of Impressionism, a movement that sought to capture the effects of light and color in the natural world rather than focusing on detailed realism. Monet’s approach emphasized painting en plein air (outdoors) to observe and represent the changing qualities of light.

• Early Life: Born in Paris, Monet moved to Le Havre as a child, where he began drawing caricatures. His interest in painting landscapes grew during his youth.
• Art Education: Monet studied under various artists, including Charles Gleyre in Paris, where he met other future Impressionists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley.
• Impressionist Breakthrough: Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise (1872) gave the movement its name. The work depicts the port of Le Havre at sunrise, emphasizing color and light over precise detail.

Style and Contributions

• Focus on Light and Atmosphere: Monet was fascinated by how light changes over time and how it affects color. He often painted the same scene at different times of day and in different weather conditions.
• Series Paintings: Famous series include Water Lilies, Haystacks, and Rouen Cathedral. These series explore shifting light and seasons.
• Brushwork: Monet’s brushstrokes were loose and visible, giving his paintings a sense of movement and vibrancy.
• Impact: Monet influenced modern art by prioritizing perception and subjective experience, laying the foundation for later movements such as Post-Impressionism and Abstract Art.

Notable Works

• Impression, Sunrise (1872)
• Water Lilies series (1896–1926)
• Woman with a Parasol (1875)
• Rouen Cathedral series (1892–1894)
• Haystacks series (1890–1891)

Legacy

Monet’s dedication to capturing natural light and his innovative use of color changed the trajectory of Western art. His work remains celebrated worldwide, with major collections in the Musée d’Orsay (Paris), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and the National Gallery (London).

Here’s a timeline of Claude Monet’s life and key works:

Year	Age	Event / Key Work
1840	0	Born in Paris, France. Family moves to Le Havre.
1858	18	Began producing caricatures and sketches of local life.
1861–1862	21–22	Served in the military in Algeria; continued sketching landscapes.
1862–1865	22–25	Studied under Charles Gleyre in Paris; met future Impressionists Renoir, Sisley, and Bazille.
1865	25	Painted Women in the Garden; experimented with light and color outdoors.
1870–1871	30–31	Franco-Prussian War; fled to England, saw works by Turner influencing his use of light.
1872	32	Painted Impression, Sunrise—title of the Impressionist movement.
1874	34	First Impressionist exhibition in Paris; Monet displayed works including Impression, Sunrise.
1875–1876	35–36	Painted Woman with a Parasol and landscapes of Argenteuil.
1883–1886	43–46	Lived in Vétheuil; series paintings of the Seine and landscapes.
1886–1887	46–47	Moved to Giverny; began cultivating famous gardens that would inspire his later works.
1890–1891	50–51	Haystacks series; explored light and seasonal changes.
1892–1894	52–54	Rouen Cathedral series; painted same subject under different lighting conditions.
1896–1926	56–86	Water Lilies series; painted in his Giverny garden pond until his death.
1926	86	Passed away in Giverny, France, leaving a legacy that influenced modern art globally.