The Biography of Claude Monet Essay Sample

Did you know Claude Monet hired six full time employees just to dust his lily pads in his garden? Monet is known for his artistic skill capturing light and natural forms. He played a pivotal role in forging a new artistic movement. These color techniques inspired later impressionists such as Vincent Van Gogh. Throughout his life, Monet has struggled with depression, poverty, and multiple family deaths during his life, and still succeeded, making him the founder of Impressionism and one of the most talented painters of his generation. 

To begin with, Claude Monet also known as Oscar-Claude Monet was born in Rue Laffitte, Paris, France, on November 14, 1840. Monet was the second son of Claude-Adolphe and Louise-Justine Aubrée Monet, both second generation Parisians (Google Arts & Culture). In 1845, his family moved to Normandy where his father wanted him to go into the family grocery business, however Monet wanted to become an artist instead. On April 1st 1851, he entered the Le Havre secondary school of arts learning from a fellow artist Eugène Boudin who became his mentor and taught him how to use oil paints (French History Claude Monet Timeline). This was when Monet started to explore the natural world in his work painting outdoors (Met Museum Timeline of Art History) “Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment” Monet states. Agonizingly, in 1857, when he was just 16 years old his mother died and he went to live with his aunt, Marie-Jeanne Lecarde (BrainyQuote).

Subsequently, Claude Monet served in the military and was stationed in Algeria, but he was discharged for health reasons. He later returned to Paris and continued to paint, meeting new artists: Charles Gleyre, Augustine Renoir, Alfred Sisley and Frederic Bazille who later all became good friends (Britannica First Impressionist Paintings of Claude Monet)Monet won acceptance to the Salon of 1865 where he painted a landscape and a portrait - Camille ( or also called Woman in Green) of his future wife who served as a muse for him at the time. The couple experienced great hardship around the birth of their first son, Jean, in 1867 (Claude Monet Gallery Biography of Claude Oscar Monet). He began to struggle financially and his father was unwilling to help him. Monet became so despondent over the situation that, in 1868, he attempted suicide by trying to drown himself in the Serene River. Fortunately, Monet settled in Argenteuil, which was a small town in Paris, and began to develop a new technique (The Art Story Biography and Legacy). Furthermore, Monet continued his work where he met Paul Durand-Ruel, who became his first art dealer. Monet often got frustrated with his work. According to reports, he destroyed an estimated 500 paintings. He would simply burn, cut or kick his art and was often known for suffering from self-doubt. His life has been described as a rollercoaster throughout his early to middle life (Sotheby’s 21 Facts About Monet). Nevertheless, he continued to grow even through the most turbulent struggles. 

Despite such struggles, Claude Monet found the external motivation to succeed. In fact, one of Monet’s most noted works in the show, Impression, Sunrise (1873) depicted Le Harve’s harbor in a morning fog. In addition to this, Impressionism is what particularly sparked his external motivation through the simple sketches of different contrasts and colors, most importantly outdoors in the gardens. The water lilies found in the pond had a particular appeal for him, and he painted several series of them throughout the rest of his life. Critics used the title to name the distinct group of artists “Impressionists,” saying that their work seemed more like sketches than finished paintings (Fondation Monet). Monet gained financial and critical success during the late 1880s and 1890s, and started the serial paintings for which he would become well known. Monet often traveled to find out her sources of inspiration. In the early 1890s, he rented a room across from the Rouen Cathedral, in northwestern France, and painted a series of works focused on the structure (Giverny Life of Monet). Different paintings showed the building in morning light, midday, gray weather and more; this repetition was a result of Monet's deep fascination with the effects of light.  Most art historians believe that Monet accomplished much more than just painting nature: He helped change the world of painting by shaking off the conventions of the past (Wikipedia Claude Monet). “People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it’s simply necessary to love”- (Claude Monet). 

Lastly, Claude Monet was a abundantly talented man who has left his mark on the world. Even though he has gone through the hardest struggles, he still paved the way and helped influence multiple new types of art and also numerous artists. He helped create movements like Pointillism, Fauvism, and Symbolism. He influenced Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro. Most importantly, Monet helped a new type of art emerge, Impressionism. Throughout his life, Monet used his talent to put the beauty of nature onto a canvas. Claude Monet may have died almost a century ago, but his art will live on forever and will never be forgotten.