Claude Monet is a great painter who became the founder of French Impressionism. His painting style is now considered a classic. It is characterized by individual strokes of pure color, helping to accurately convey the richness of the air.
Childhood, adolescence
Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris. He grew up in a grocer's family and his father wanted his son to continue the family business. When Claude was 5 years old, his family moved to Le Havre. The future artist was not distinguished by exemplary behavior and often skipped school. He painted rocks, stones and caricatured portraits of teachers on the covers of school notebooks. In this field, he succeeded and soon gained fame. He was considered the best cartoonist in the city.
Claude Monet's parents were reluctant to give him pocket money, so the young artist decided to sell his paintings. And they were eagerly bought. In an art shop, he met Eugene Boudin, who became his teacher and opened the world of landscape painting for him.
Career
Eugene Boudin convinced Claude Monet of the need to undergo training and Monet went to Paris, where he studied at a school for poor artists, visited exhibitions and galleries. In 1861, he was drafted into military service in the cavalry troops and sent to Algeria. Of the 7 years he had been in the service, he spent only 2, and then fell ill with typhoid fever and returned home after treatment.
The desire to learn and paint something more serious led Monet to the studio of Charles Gleyer. There he met several talented artists of the time, with views on painting similar to his own. Monet's first paintings were:
- "Breakfast on the Grass";
- "The Lady in Green";
- "Woman in the Garden".
The artist planned to present the painting "Breakfast on the Grass" at the exhibition, but due to the difficult financial situation, the work had to be sold and instead presented to the jury "Lady in Green". It is interesting that the jury did not like this work and was not even admitted to the competition, and later it was sold for a lot of money.
Impressionism
Claude Monet became one of the founders of a new direction in painting - impressionism. The main goal of impressionist artists is to feel the beauty of the moment and express it on canvas. They painted in large strokes, used solid colors, abandoning the usual mixing.
Claude Monet neglected the lines and replaced them with separate short strokes. He loved to observe how nature changed depending on weather conditions, and tried to convey this on canvases. Looking at his paintings, you can even feel the subtle movement of the wind.
With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, Monet went to England, where he met a man who was selling paintings. This acquaintance led to long-term cooperation. Claude Monet managed to solve material problems, to buy a house at home in Argenteuil. There he lived for several happy years. During this period, he managed to write some of his most successful works:
- "Impression. Sunrise";
- "A field of poppies at Argenteuil".
Claude Monet loved to paint whole series of works. These were canvases united by a common theme. Writing several paintings allowed the artist to better reveal the beauty of any place, or the character of a person. Some of the most famous series:
- "Haystacks" (1881-1891, 22 paintings);
- Poplars (1892, 20 paintings);
- Rouen Cathedral (1895, 30 paintings);
- "Nymphs. Landscapes of Water" (1900, 25 panels).
A little later, the artist painted the second series of "Nymphaeas". The landscapes of the water turned out surprisingly well for him. The paintings were quickly sold at the most prestigious auctions.
Life at Giverny
Having saved up money, Claude Monet decided to move to the village of Giverny, located on the banks of the Seine. During this period, tragic events took place in the artist's life associated with the death of his wife and eldest son. But financially, everything was very good, as his paintings were in great demand.
At Giverny, Claude Monet not only continued to create, but also significantly expanded his garden. The artist was also an excellent gardener. He liked to contemplate the result of his labors, to relax in the shade of trees. He worked in his garden. There he also mastered a new technique of writing masterpieces. He painted several paintings at once and could devote a couple of hours to write one work, then move on to another. This made it possible to catch different lighting and embody it on canvas. He also tries to convey the nuances of lighting in a series of paintings. For example, a series of paintings depicting Cape Antibes is presented in morning, noon, autumn, summer and spring lighting.
Personal life
The first wife of Claude Monier was Camille Donsier. This girl posed for him for "Lady in Green" and some other paintings. She was his constant model and in marriage gave birth to two sons with an age difference of 11 years. After the death of his wife, the artist began a relationship with Alice Goshede. But at that time she was married and they married only after the death of her husband.
Claude Monet lived a long life. He underwent two cataract surgeries, which affected his color perception. He began to see ultraviolet light in purple and blue, and such changes can be noticed by looking at his most recent paintings. A striking example is the painting "Water Lily", which was recognized as the most expensive work of the artist. Claude Monet passed away in 1926. He died of lung cancer at the age of 86. Monet was buried in the church cemetery.
