Claude Monet

Claude Monet was a French painter who initiated, led, and unswervingly advocated for the Impressionist style. He is best known for his series of paintings of the same motif in different lights and seasons, such as haystacks, Rouen Cathedral, and water lilies. He was inspired by nature and sought to capture its beauty and essence with his brushstrokes. He was also influenced by Japanese art and culture, which he collected and displayed in his home in Giverny. He created a large garden there, where he planted various flowers and built a water-lily pond with a Japanese bridge. He painted many scenes of his garden, especially the water lilies, which became his signature subject. He experimented with color and light, creating vibrant and luminous paintings that expressed his impressions of the moment. He was a prolific and influential artist who paved the way for modernism and abstract art. He had many friends and admirers among his fellow artists, such as Renoir, Pissarro, Cézanne, Degas, and Sisley. He also received support from patrons like Gustave Caillebotte, Ernest Hoschedé, Georges Clemenceau, and Sergei Shchukin. He faced some financial difficulties and health problems in his life, but he never gave up his passion for painting. He died of lung cancer at the age of 86 and was buried in his beloved garden in Giverny.