Claude Monet
Monet was the leader of a group of French artists called the "Impressionists," which included such painters as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Camille Pissarro.
Oscar Claude Monet was born in Paris on February 14, 1840 the son of a grocer and trader. After the premature death of his mother in 1857, young Monet was fond of his aunt, who was an amateur painter.
He took his early art lessons from the painter, Eugene Boudin. Boudin, who worked up sketches out-of doors, encouraged Monet to do the same.
He was the first artist to let his initial impressions stand as completed works, rather than preparation work in the studio. For the next 60 years Monet explored the effects of light on outdoor scenes. He was the first artist to exhibit initial impressions as completed works.
Monet moved to Paris in 1859, where he met Pissarro and Edouard Manet. They became close friends. He married in 1870, and in 1871 settled in Argenteuil. He fixed up a boat with an easel and painted during his boat ride along the Seine River. He captured his impressions of the effect of light, water, waves, atmosphere and cloud formations. He was not interesed in historical, mythological or religious subjects as an
impressionist painter. The society in France were not familiar with the new concept of protraying landscapes and natural subjects in paintings. Thus impressionists who did not care fot traditions and conventions were laughed at and rejected by conventional critics.
In 1874 Monet and a group of painters including Pissarro and Renoir gave a public exhibition of their work at a studio in Paris. Monet exhibited a painting called "Impression: Sunrise." His painting gave the group its name impressionists. The entire exhibition was named as "Impressionistic." The exhibition was a financial failure. However the Impressionist continued to exhibit together until 1886. Monet slowly achieved recognition in the years after. His works received praise from critics such as French writer Emile Zola and were purchased by few influential buyers.
In 1883, he settled in Giverny, France and continued to paint.He explored his impressions of landscapes, water and nature with changing mood of light until his death on December 5, 1926. |
