Born on November 14, 1840 in Paris, the son of a wealthy merchant, Claude Monet, was to become one of the greatest French painters, giving birth to the Impressionism movement. He grew up in Havre and the contact with Essen Boudin in 1856 introduced Monet to the world of painting, where from his very first steps, he drew special inspiration from nature.

Monet quickly became absorbed in landscape painting, as he stated that he wanted to paint as freely as birds fly, rejecting the norms of his time. Claude Monet’s name is basically synonymous with the French Impressionist movement. Along with many other artists such as Manet, Renoir and Pissarro, they pioneered the transition from realism to impressionism. The name of one of his paintings is, indeed, where they got the name for the movement. For many, Monet reinvented the possibilities of color. The culmination of his explorations was the series of water lilies he created in his famous garden at Giverny. In fact, this collection is often cited as the inspiration for the abstract art movement.

Monet’s revolutionary style criticized

During his lifetime, Claude Monet and his art were heavily criticized. Mainly because he abandoned the old and traditional painting techniques. Monet really created something revolutionary in art and formed the basis for Modern Art. And its revolutionary element was completely unknown for the time.

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