Did Claude Monet just make pretty paintings? Why do we still love Monet? Join Heather James as we dive into Monet’s life and legacy. Get a closer look into his impact on art and culture, answering some of the biggest questions people ask about the artist.
“If I became a painter, it is to Eugène Boudin that I owe the fact.” – Claude Monet
“Claude Monet in the dining room at Giverny, surrounded by Japanese prints”
“Claude Monet standing beside tree”, Library of Congress. Reproduction LC-USZ62-11247
“Claude Monet his study at Giverny”
Who is Monet?
- Claude Monet was born in Paris in 1840 but spent his early years in the bustling port city of Le Havre in Normandy, France.
- He gained local recognition by displaying the caricatures in a local frame shop owned by landscape artist Eugène Boudin, who encouraged him to paint outdoors and profoundly influenced Monet’s development as an artist.
- Monet was instrumental in organizing the first independent exhibition of Impressionist art in 1874.
- A formidable man of boundless energy, Monet had a strong work ethic and a robust constitution. He painted through cold, hunger, personal loss, tragedy, and desolation.
- Monet’s Meules, part of his haystack series, achieved his record at auction when it sold for over $110 million USD.
“During several days of snow…cold enough to split stones we noticed a foot-warmer, then an easel, then a man, swathed in three coats, his hands in gloves, his face half-frozen. It was C. Monet, studying a snow effect.” – a journalist, 1868
Claude Monet, “Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies”, 1899, oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Claude Monet, “Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son”, 1875, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Claude Monet, “Caricature of Mario Uchard”, 1858, graphite on tan wove paper, Art Institute of Chicago
Why is Monet Important?
- Innovative Approach to Art: Monet revolutionized the art world with his innovative approach to painting outdoors, his commitment to studying the play between light and color, and incorporating the influence of Japanese woodblock prints.
- Co-founder of Impressionism: Along with Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, and others, Monet was one of the founders of Impressionism, which challenged the realist styles of Academic painting.
- Broke barriers of perception: Monet’s unusual viewpoints and the abstraction of his later works have influenced generations of artists.
“When you go out to paint, try to forget what objects you have before you, a tree, a house a field, or whatever. Merely think, here is a little square of blue, here an oblong of pink, here a streak of yellow.” – Claude Monet
Claude Monet, “The Grand Canal, Venice”, 1908, oil on canvas, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Claude Monet, “Water Lilies”, 1906, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago
Claude Monet, “House of Parliament, Sunset”, 1903, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Claude Monet, “Stacks of Wheat (Sunset, Snow Effect)”, 1890/91, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago
How Did Monet Transform Painting?
- Monet popularized painting outdoors (“en plein air”) to capture both the fleeting interaction between light and color and to convey a sense of spontaneity.
- Like many of the Impressionists, Monet was inspired by Japanese art, particularly woodblock prints, which influenced his composition, leaning into unusual perspectives; this artistic influence is called Japonisme while incorporating Japanese motifs is called Japonaiserie (similar to Chinoiserie).
- Monet’s series, studying the same subject at different times of the day or seasons, influenced both his fellow Impressionists like his friend, Alfred Sisley, and future artists.
- He had an outstanding proficiency with color and capturing the nuances of light, which he continually explored throughout his career.
- His later works verged towards abstraction with an emphasis on the surface texture of the paintings, influencing future artists.
“She’s a full-on Monet. It’s like a painting, see? From far away, it’s OK, but up close it’s a big old mess.” – Cher, Clueless
Utagawa Hiroshige, “Okabe; Utsu no Yama”, c. 1834, woodblock print, ink and color on paper, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Claude Monet, “Le chemin creux dans la Falaise à Varengeville”, 1882, oil on canvas, The New Art Gallery Walsall
Claude Monet, “La Japonaise (Camille Monet in Japanese Costume)”, 1876, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Claude Monet, “Japanese Footbridge, Giverny”, 1895, oil on canvas, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Why did Monet Work in Series?
- Some of Monet’s most famous works are from his series of paintings depicting the same subject during different times of the day or different seasons.
- By focusing on the same subject and often from the same vantage point, Monet could focus on the play between color, light, and surface, capturing both the subtle and dramatic changes as time passed.
- This sequential style of painting influenced his friend and fellow Impressionist Alfred Sisley. Learn more how here.
- Some of the most famous series began in the 1890s, including Rouen Cathedrals, Haystacks, Houses of Parliament, and Nympheas (Water lilies).
- However, Monet always had an interest in depicting the changes of light, and some of his earlier works were painted in a serial nature, depicting similar scenes under different lighting and weather conditions.
“The motif is insignificant for me; what I want to represent is what lies between the motif and me.” – Claude Monet
Claude Monet, “Rouen Cathedral, West Façade”, 1894, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Claude Monet, “Rouen Cathedral, West Façade, Sunlight”, 1894, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Claude Monet, “Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer)”, 1890/91, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago
Claude Monet, “Stacks of Wheat (End of Day, Autumn)”, 1890/91, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago
Claude Monet, “Water Lilies (Nymphéas)”, 1907, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Claude Monet, “Water Lilies”, 1919, oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Claude Monet, “Water Lilies or The Water Lily Pond (Nymphéas)”, 1904, oil on canvas, Denver Art Museum
Claude Monet, “Water Lilies”, c. 1914-197, oil on canvas, Fine Arts Museum, San Francisco
What is Impressionism?
- Impressionism is an art movement of the 19th century, founded by a group of French artists, including Monet, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas.
- The first Impressionist exhibition took place in April 1874 in reaction to the rejection of the artists’ works in the Salon de Paris by the Académie des Beaux-Arts.
- As opposed to capturing nature as it was, the Impressionists were more concerned with capturing a reflection or immediacy of a scene; they even started applying new scientific theories on color and perception to their paintings.
- In addition to painting “en plein air” (outdoors), the artists concentrated on scenes of everyday life, particularly in urban and surburban settings.
- The term Impressionism comes from the title of Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise, and was initially used as an insult.
“For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment.” – Claude Monet
Claude Monet, “Impression, Sunrise”, 1872, oil on canvas, Musée Marmottan Monet
John Singer Sargent, “Claude Monet Painting by the Edge of a Wood”, oil on canvas, Tate Collection, London
Claude Monet, “Camille Monet on a Garden Bench”, 1873, oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Claude Monet, “Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare”, 1877, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago
Reference Videos
“The Case for Impressionism” by The Art Assignment
“Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature” by CBS Sunday Morning
“Claude Monet’s ‘The Beach at Trouville’” by The National Gallery
“A visit to Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny” by the Royal Academy of Arts
Related Artworks
If you’d like to learn more about Heather James Art Advisory and our holistic approach to collecting and managing art, visit us at https://www.heatherjames.com/advisory/ or email us at [email protected].
