It all began in 1874 with this painting
when a critic accused Monet’s “Impression, Sunrise” of being simply a sketch or impression rather than a finished painting. The name stuck and the whole artistic movement focusing on capturing fleeting moments in time rather than realistic portrayals became known as Impressionism.
The French born Monet had always been fascinated by the play of light, whether on water, leaves, or stonework, and would often paint for only a few minutes on each canvas, moving on to the next as the light shifted. This resulted in his many single subject series, where he shows the same view under different lighting conditions (Rouen, Venice, London).
Like many of his fellow Impressionists Monet worked outdoors, sometimes on a boat he designed as a floating studio.
A prolific painter who painted everything from landscapes to contemporary scenes, Monet is best known for his paintings of the water lilies and Japanese bridge from his garden at Giverny.
For an artist whose whole career was based on painting the effects of light, the development of cataracts dealt Monet a severe blow. They created significant vision loss, and to Monet’s great frustration changed his perception of light. His paintings became more abstract and his color pallet began to change. He complained of seeing reds as muddy, and other objects as yellow. This frustration led him to destroy several canvasses. Cataract surgery and special glasses helped enough that he continued to paint until his death.
His final paintings are the large scale murals at the Orangerie in Paris, where you can become totally immersed in Monet’s garden. A gift to the state following the end of WWI, Monet worked with the architect to create the perfect skylit setting in two oval rooms that create an infinity symbol. The museum opened just a few months after Monet’s death in 1926.
Paris is ground zero for a Monet quest, but his paintings can be found in collections all over the world.
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