Claude Monet was born in Paris in 1840 and raised in Le Havre. He began as a keen sketcher, then, encouraged by Eugène Boudin, he turned to painting outdoors to capture changing light and weather. In the early 1860s he moved to Paris, met painters such as Renoir, Sisley and Pissarro, and began to break with the studio traditions of the time.
Money was tight and recognition was slow, but Monet persisted. His painting Impression, Sunrise shown in 1874 lent its name to Impressionism after a sharp review. He married Camille Doncieux, later lived with Alice Hoschedé, and worked in places such as Argenteuil and Vétheuil before settling in Giverny in 1883.
At Giverny he created a garden with a Japanese bridge and a water garden that became the basis of his great series. He painted haystacks, poplars, Rouen Cathedral, and, above all, the Water Lilies, exploring colour and light across seasons and times of day. Cataracts affected his sight late in life, yet he kept working. Monet died in 1926 in Giverny, leaving a body of work that shaped modern painting.
For Art Advisory services relating to Claude Monet, please get in touch using the enquire form below