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Claude Monet Biography
Claude Oscar Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris, France. His father, Claude Adolphe, owned a grocery store and his mother, Louise Justine Aubree was a singer. His father hoped that his second son, Monet would join the family business. However, much to his disappointment, Monet desired to become an artist. |
Claude Monet, the son of a grocer, grew up to be the original founder and practitioner of the French Impressionist movement in painting. Some of his well known works comprise of Impression, Sunrise, Water Lilies and Haystacks. He immensely concentrated on the influence of light on a subject.
Monet commenced his training at the Le Harve School for Arts in the year 1851. At a tender age of eleven, he ventured into selling charcoal paintings to the locals in the area. Finally, it was Eugene Boudin who taught Monet details of oil painting. Monet did not show any inclination towards imitating the works of other legendary artists. Instead, he enjoyed painting any scenic view, which could be as simple as a view outside a mere window. In 1861, Monet was on the rolls of the First Regiment of African Light Cavalry in Algeria. His seven years stay in Algeria was reduced to two after he contracted typhoid. After a discontented tenure with the Cavalry, Monet went on to study art at a university.
In 1862, Monet commenced his studies with Charles Gleyre, where he learned diverse swift painting techniques. It was during this time period that Monet met Camille Doncieux, and fathered a son, Jean, in 1867. A year later, under the pressures of financial crisis, Monet made a futile attempt to end his life. Camille was very supportive during this emotional and financial bad phase in his life; and they later got married in June 1870. As a consequence of the Franco-Prussian War, the couple shifted from France to England in July 1870. Since, the Royal Academy did not give Monet the approval to display his work, he moved to Zaandam to carry on his work.
It was in 1871 that Monet finally developed his impressionistic style after returning to France. In 1872, he painted the famous Impression, Sunrise. Soon after giving birth to their second son, Michel, Camille died on September 5, 1879 succumbing to tuberculosis. As a mark of his last respect, Monet painted Camille Monet on her death bed. After his wife’s demise, an extremely grief stricken Monet started residing with Ernest Hoshede, a benefactor of the arts.
In 1892, Monet was married Alice, Hoshede’s wife. The couple lived in Giverny, where Claude nurtured a huge garden. This garden was the inspiration of many of his distinguished works highlighting willows and water lilies. He even constructed a studio in his garden, so that he could paint at leisure without worrying about the weather conditions. Monet’s vision got compromised by cataract after the demise of his second wife in 1911, and son Jean in 1914.
Claude Monet died in 1926 succumbing to lung cancer. The artist rests in peace in the cemetery of the Giverny church. His heirs donated his Giverny home and gardens to the French Academy of Fine Arts in 1966.
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