Claude Monet Essay

Introduction

            Oscar Claude Monet is considered to be one of the famous painters of the 19-th century France. He was the leader of French Impressionism, the art movement aimed at describing the effects of light and movement through the use of rich colours. Due to his unique talent and personality traits, Monet achieved an enormous success in his professional career as a painter. He demonstrated the increased interest in depiction of natural light, the open air and the natural environment. He wrote, “For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment; but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life – the light and the air which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value” (qtd. in Barren 23). The key contribution of Monet to the world of art was his unique technique that allowed to view the same subject at different times of the day. Moreover, Monet is recognized as an effective colourist and a master of light. His artworks reflect certain degree of abstraction that has been widely appreciated by further generations of abstractionists.  All in all, Monet is a key figure in the history of art because his talent contributed to the development of new art movement that became very popular across the world.

Biography of the painter

            Oscar Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris, France. He came from a middle-class family. His father owned his own shipping business, while his mother was a housewife. She enjoyed to read poems and listen to music. Monet’s mother taught him and his older brother to love art.  When Monet was a child, his family moved to Le Havre where the boy and his brother Leon spent their young years. Researchers found that Monet was a good student in school and did well in all studies, especially in the study of art. The love of drawing was the key motivation of his success. He used to draw caricatures of his peers and teachers, and his mother was the person who provided enormous assistance in the development of the boy’s artistic skills.

            It is known that Monet’s father wanted his son to become a grocer, but the boy was inspired by art. His first art works were caricature drawings which actually gave him his first earning. Oscar Claude was encouraged to continue his art education in order to get much more new knowledge and experience in art studies. When Oscar was 16, his mother died. The death of his mother was perceived by the young man as a real tragedy that affected all his further life. It is known that his aunt became Oscar’s foster mother who supported the young man in his art education.

            In 1857, Monet decided to go to Paris where he could enjoy the beauty of the city. He was never focused on production of imitation of  the paintings of the famous painters. He wanted to create his own artworks. He wrote, “People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it’s simply necessary to love” (qtd. in Barren 23).

            In 1861, Monet had to join the French army for a long term stint located in Algeria. However, his illness made him leave the army after two years of military service in Algeria. After that he made a final decision to achieve success in art.

            In 1870, Monet fell in love with a beautiful young woman, and they married. It is known that he met a woman who became his muse and who replaced Monet’s maternal figures.  She was Camille Doncieux. According to researchers, “his encounter with Camille Doncieux, who posed for his first major success at the Salon of 1866 fulfilled this need” (Gedo 9). She became not only his wife and mistress, but also she became his model and the mother of his two sons. The family had to move to London for the reason of the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war. After several years, they moved to Holland where the painter enjoyed the local nature and landscapes. Later, he returned to Paris, making a decision to settle in the city and continue his artwork with close collaboration with the painters of his circle, including Auguste Renoir, Sisley, Gustave and others.

            In 1879, his wife died and the painter met the second woman who played an important role in his life. She was Alice Hoschede. Monet and Alice married, and the painter had his second muse. In 1911, Alice died. In 1914, his step daughter Blanche became his third muse.

            Monet died in 1926. During all his life, Monet faced a number of challenges, both economic and psychological, which led to the state of depression and, finally, to a serious illness. Monet is considered to be one of the most talented painters in the history of art. As a leader of French Impressionism, his works reflect the key Impressionist techniques that are widely recognized today. Monet’s artworks are exhibited in many museums of the world.

Analysis of artworks by the painter

            The artworks by Claude Monet are multiple. Most of his paintings are landscapes and portraits. There are several portraits of his which demonstrate the painter’s talent of depicting human figures.

According to researchers, Monet “was the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement’s philosophy of expressing an individual’s thoughts before nature through landscape” (Barren 23). His creativity in painting helped to develop a new technique which was focused on demonstration of the same scenes many times with the goal to capture the emerging changes of light in painting and changes of seasons. Besides, Monet was recognized for his large scale paintings.

            Among the most popular paintings by Monet are Women in the Garden (1866-67), Westminster Bridge (aka The Thames below Westminster) (1871), Boulevard des Capucines (1873), Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son (1875), The Rue Montorgueil in Paris. Celebration of June 30th, 1878 (1878), Rouen Cathedral: The Facade at Sunset (1894), Water Lilies (1915-1926), and many others. Each of Monet’s paintings is unique as it reflects the painter’s deep feelings and his attitudes toward nature. There is much evidence that Monet’s landscape paintings show the beauty of nature, while his portrait paintings show the beauty of human beings. The painter’s sensations are associated with his life experiences. Considering the uniqueness of  Monet’s art style, it is possible to call Monet a creative painter. His creativity is based on the reproduction of light and the vibration of colour.

            Actually, one of the most important portrait paintings is Monet’s Lady with a Parasol which shows the beauty of his muse. The  depiction of the parasol as a key accessory of women helps to better understand women’s identity. The parasol was used for protection of  skin and eyes. However, the painter is interested in depiction of the contrast of light and shadows on the woman’s face and her dress. The painter wants to show the direction of light and its power over human features. In his painting Boulevard des Capucines (1873), the painter shows one scene of the life of Paris. Bustling square, the hustle of people and the natural environment help to assess the painter’s impression of movement that is an essential part of Paris. The painter is focused on the use of short brush strokes which make human figures in the painting look alive. In addition, Monet places emphasis on depiction of natural forms.

            Furthermore, Monet used his own garden to develop the talent of a landscape painter. According top researchers, “a skilled landscape architect as well as superb landscape painter, Claude Monet embellished the gardens of the various rental properties he occupied for any length of time” (Gedo 219).  However, Giverny garden was his passion. Therefore, many artworks are based on the painter’s love for his home through  the depiction of the natural environment. It stands to reason that his home was a source of great inspiration for the painter.

            Nevertheless, art critics often criticized Monet’s works for the reason that they were creative and  looked like unfinished painting or sketches.  One of the painter’s most popular and widely recognized  artworks is Impression, Sunrise (1873). In this painting, Monet depicted the beauty of Le Havre’s harbour in a morning fog. Critics applied  the name of the painting to refer to the group of painters with similar techniques, calling them Impressionist painters and “providing the Impressionist movement with its enduring name” (Gedo 136). Unfortunately, none of Monet’s  exhibitions led to the increase of  sales. Although  Monet managed to capture the beauty of the natural environment applying various  colours and short brush stroke technique, he moved away from the classical art style.

Conclusion

            Thus, it is necessary to conclude that Claude Monet, the founder of French Impressionism, is considered to be one of the key figures in the history of art. The French society accepted his artworks, considering them revolutionary in the world of art.  His paintings attracted both public attention and critical attention because of the use of creative elements in his artworks. Currently, Monet’s paintings are known as icons of French Impressionism. 

Works Cited

Barren, Stan. Inspiring Legends: Real Life Inspirational Stories (Book 1). InspirationDb.com, Nov 13, 2015.

Gedo, Mary M. Monet and His Muse: Camille Monet in the Artist’s Life. University of Chicago Press, Sep 30, 2010.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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