Biography
Oscar-Claude Monet (14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and a founder of the Impressionist movement. He was the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein air landscape painting. The term "Impressionism" is derived from the title of his painting Impression, soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise).
Style and Technique
Monet's ambition of documenting the French countryside led him to adopt a method of painting the same scene many times in order to capture the changing of light and the passing of the seasons. He sought to capture the fleeting moment and the essence of the light as he perceived it. His use of bold, short brushstrokes and his focus on light and its reflection on surfaces were revolutionary at the time. He often painted in series, such as his famous Water Lilies and Haystacks series, exploring how a single subject could be transformed by different atmospheric conditions.
Later Life and Legacy
In his later years, Monet suffered from cataracts, which greatly influenced his perception of color. Despite this, he continued to paint, producing some of his most abstract and celebrated works. He settled in Giverny, where he created his famous garden and water lily pond, which became the primary subject of his art. Monet's work fundamentally changed the course of modern art, and his influence continues to be felt by artists around the world.