Claude Monet was a French painter, celebrated for his masterful use of light, color, and brushstroke to capture nature’s transient beauty. Born in 1840 in Paris and raised in Le Havre, Monet began his artistic career as a caricaturist before studying painting. In the 1860s, he joined a circle of avant-garde artists, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, with whom he developed a style focused on painting en plein air (outdoors) to capture natural light and atmosphere. His painting Impression, Sunrise (1872), depicting a misty Le Havre harbor, gave the Impressionist movement its name and marked a turning point in his career. His series paintings, such as Water Lilies, Haystacks, and Rouen Cathedral, show his fascination with how light changes at different times of day and in different seasons. In 1883, Monet settled in Giverny, where he created a magnificent garden that became a central subject in his work. The Water Lilies series, painted in his later years, is among his most iconic work, showcasing his experimental use of color and form to depict water, light, and reflection. He passed away in 1926.
