Claude Monet :: Biography

Claude MonetClaude Monet was one of the founding fathers of French Impressionism.Monets concern was to reflect the influence of light on a subject. He neer abandoned his Impressionist painting style until his death in1926 when Fauvism and Cubism were en vogue and when abstract paintingcame into existence.First Painting LessonsClaude Monet was born in Paris, precisely grew up in Le Havre. His firstartistic output was caricatures when he was a little boy. Close to hishome was a little shop possess by a marine painter, Mr. Eugene Boudin.He recognized the talent of the boy and gave him his first paintinglessons. Claudes family was not very happy about his vocation forpainting. In 1860 he was drafted and had to go to Northern Africa fortwo years. After his return from Africa he went to Paris and tookpainting lessons at Gleyres studio in Paris. At the studio he got toknow Auguste Renoir, Sisley, Bazille and another(prenominal)s. The nucleus of thefuture Impressionist movement was born.P ainting en plein airSoon Monet turned away from the traditional style of painting at bottom astudio. With his new friends he went outside in the Fontainebleauforest to paint in the open air. But the public and art criticsridiculed these new paintings that looked so divergent from anyconventional art style. In a caricature published in a newspaper, theywere mocked with the proposal of chasing away the Prussian enemy by demo them Impressionist paintings - not very nice When theFranco-Prussian war of 1870/71 broke out, Monet chose to go to Londonwith his friend Pissarro. There he saw the paintings of William Turnerin the museums of London.The House in GivernyAfter 1880 the public slowly begun to recognize the value ofimpressionism. Monet Claude and his friends could finally get somesolid income from the sales of their paintings. In 1883 Monet rented a dramatic art in Giverny about 50 kilometers outside of Paris. Later, in 1890,he bought the house where he should stay until his death in 1926.Claude Monet and Serial PaintingsIn 1890 Monet began to paint consistently the same subjects underdifferent light conditions. The first subject was the haystacks behindhis house. As the light changed during the day faster than he couldpaint, he worked simultaneously on several canvases. At the end he hadpainted 25 different versions of the hay stacks. More of the seriespaintings followed - the Rouen Cathedral, views of Venice or theThames in London with the Houses of Parliament and other landmarks inLondon - often in the fog.