Claude Monet was the father of French Impressionism, famous for his series paintings of haystacks, cathedrals, and the beloved Water Lilies that capture light, atmosphere, and time's passage.
Claude Monet (1840-1926) is considered the master of Impressionism, the revolutionary art movement he helped found in 1874. His lifelong obsession with capturing light and its fleeting effects on water, gardens, and architecture transformed how artists and viewers see the natural world.
Monet's most celebrated works -- the Water Lilies series painted in his garden at Giverny -- consist of approximately 250 paintings created over two decades. These massive canvases, many of which live in Paris's Musee de l'Orangerie, are among the greatest achievements in Western art.
His technique of applying thick, loose brushstrokes of pure color side by side to create optical mixing was radical for its time. Today, Monet's work is among the most recognized and beloved in the world, a perfect entry point into the history of modern art.
Major Works
- Water Lilies
- Impression, Sunrise
- Haystacks series
- Rouen Cathedral series
- The Japanese Footbridge