Claude Monet, the founder of French Impressionist painting, was born in Paris in 1840. He was a senior to Pablo Picasso and older than Henri Matisse.
When Monet was five years old, his family moved to Le Havre on the Normandy coast of northern France for his father’s ship provisions business. Although his father expected Claude to eventually take over the business, Claude Monet refused.
At that time, Claude Monet was deeply engrossed in painting. He had a natural talent for it. Seeing her son’s passion, his mother, who was a singer, supported him, and Monet eventually entered art school.
In 1856, at the age of 16, Claude Monet met a person who would greatly influence his artistic life: Eugène Boudin. Monet encountered Boudin painting on the Normandy coast. Boudin, known as one of the first artists to paint outdoors, taught Claude the techniques of using oil paint while painting outside. From then on, Monet began painting outdoor landscapes, which brought a lifelike vibrancy to his colors.
View at Le Havre (1845)
However, after Monet's mother died in 1857, he lost his financial support and had to drop out of school to live with his aunt. He did not return to his father.
At one point, his father gave him a choice:
"Inherit the business and avoid the military, or join the army and continue painting?"
Although his wealthy father could have used his influence to exempt him from military service, it was contingent on giving up painting. Angered by this, Claude Monet chose to join the military and cut ties with his father. Truly a man of passion over money, Monet's decision was admirable.
Farmyard in Normandy (1863)
Hauling a Boat Ashore, Honfleur (1864)
After returning from the military, Monet resumed painting with renewed energy but grew weary of traditional art. Although his works were still realistic, he sought to push the boundaries.
The Chapel Notre-Dame de Grace at Honfleur (1864)
The Road from Chailly to Fontainebleau (1864)
While looking at Claude Monet's paintings, I was amazed to recognize scenes from the Netherlands and Belgium I recently visited. Despite more than a century having passed, the realism is striking. It’s incredible to see the landscapes I cycled through in France and Belgium depicted so accurately.
Monet, tired of the conventional style, felt the need for something different—something colorful! Other students at the time shared his thoughts, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Frédéric Bazille, and Alfred Sisley. They started to stick together, creating similar types of paintings. This was the beginning of the Impressionist movement, and their works from this period share many similarities.
Adolphe Monet Reading in the Garden (1866)
Luncheon on the Grass (1865)
Claude Monet remained relatively unknown into his twenties, with no significant achievements. After graduating from art school, he persistently submitted his works to the Salon. He submitted pieces like "Women in the Garden" (1866) and "On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt" (1868), featuring his girlfriend and model Camille Doncieux.
Women in the Garden (1866)
On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt (1868)
Thanks to Camille, who brought him good fortune, Monet's work began to gain recognition and sell. He married Camille in 1870.
This is quite a heartwarming story, especially in contrast to Picasso, who later in life had relationships with numerous women, paid for relationships, and was abusive.
Jeanne Marguerite Lecadre in the Garden (1866)
Camille on the Beach at Trouville (1870)
