CLAUD MONET

CLAUD MONET

THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS?

Timeline of Claude Monet’s life

1840 Birth of Claude Monet on November 14 in Paris.

1845 The family moves to Le Havre where Monet develops a reputation for the caricatures he loves to draw.

1856 Claude Monet meets EugèneBoudinat Le Havre who plays a very important role in the development of his technique. Boudinencourages him to paint outdoors.

1859 Monet leaves for Paris and enters the 'Académie Suisse' where he probably meets Pissaro.

1862 Monet joins the studio of Charles Gleyre, a Swiss painter who lives in Paris. The studio attracts a large number of talented artists; he meets Bazille, Lepic, Renoir, Sisley.

1863  Monet discovers Manet'spaintings at Martinet's where his work is exhibited, and paints outdoors with Bazillein the forest of

Fontainebleau.

1864 Monet is visiting Boudinat Honfleur. He finds himself at the St-Siméonfarm with Bazilleand Jongkind. He meets with first admirer, Gaudibert.

1865 Camille Doncieux, his future wife and Bazillepose for his " Le Déjeunersurl'herbe". This canvas was modified following the advice of Courbet. He is not satisfied with his work and renounces to exhibit it at the Salon.

1867 Monet is at Sainte-Adressewhen his first-born child Jean is born in Paris. He interrupts the outdoors work due to eyesight troubles.

1868 With Courbet and Manet, he participates to a maritime exhibition at Le Havre. Suicidal attempt. Monet receives a pension of M. Gaudibert allowing him to pursue his work. He leaves for Fécampand Etretat.

1870 Monet marries Camille, Courbet is his best man. When the war starts, he finds refuge in London where he meets Pissaroand Daubigny.The latter one presents him to the marchandDurand-Ruelwho buys several of his canvases and will exhibit his work numerous times. In London, Monet discovers Turner and the English landscape painters. He returns to France and settles in Argenteuil after a journey to Holland and Antwerp. The Argenteuil period is the culmination point of Impressionism. Manet, Renoir, Caillebotteand Sisley paint there in his presence

1874 Monet takes part in the first Impressionist exhibition at Nadar's.

1876 Monet meets Ernest and Alice Hoschedéwho buy some of his work.

 1878 Birth of Michel Monet, his second son. Thanks to the purchases by Manet, the Monet family settles at Vétheuilalongside the Seine in the company of the Hoschedéfamily, who are ruined and who are forced to sell their collection of Impressionist paintings for a nickel and a dime. Several paintings of that time period are presented at the fourth Impressionist Exhibition in 1879.

1879 Camille dies at Vétheuil. Alice Hoschedétakes care of the family of Claude Monet in addition to her own six children.

1883 Monet rents the house at Giverny. He will reside there

for 43 years, until his death.

1886 Durant Ruelpresents 300 oil paint and pastel works by the impressionists of Paris. Monet also takes part in the "Exposition des XX" in Brussels.

1890 Monet buys the house at Giverny and starts the works for the creation of the waterliliesbasin.

1891 Death of Ernest Hoschedé. Monet exhibits the series of the "Hay Stacks" and the one of the "Poplars alongside the EpteRiver" at Durand-Ruel's.

1892 Monet paints the series of the Cathedrals. In July, he marries Alice Raingo, widow of Ernest Hoschedé.

1900 Monet starts the compositions of the Waterliliesand travels to London to paint the views of the Thames.

1907 First symptoms of the cataract.

1909 The 48 landscapes of "Waterlilies", painted between 1904 and 1906 and exhibited at Durand-Ruel, have great success.

1911 Death of his wife Alice at Giverny.

1914 Death of Jean, the firstborn son of Claude Monet. His daughter-in-law, Blanche, looks after him until his death.

1918 Claude Monet decides to donate twelve large canvasses of "Waterlilies" to France. They are installed at the Orangerie in Paris in two oval rooms especially arranged for them. He  finishes them in 1926.

1923  Monet, almost blind, has surgery at the cataract.

1926 Monet still paints at the beginning of the year. He dies on December 5th. He is burriedin his family grave at Giverny, in the presence of Georges Clémenceau.

His Life

Claude Oscar Monet was born in Paris on November 14th 1840. He lived in Paris with his parents until he was 6 when they all moved to Le Havre in Northern France.

In his youth, Monet painted caricature portraits and sold them for extra pocket money!

Eventually his friend, the painter Eugene Boudin, convinced him that he should use his talent to paint outside and become a landscape painter.

Monet then moved on to become one of the best painters of the great outdoors of all time.

Impressionism

Artists who produced work like Monet’s were known as impressionists. The name ‘Impressionists’ actually came from the name of one of Monet’s own paintings.

An Impression: Sunrise

Houses of Parliament

Houses of Parliament, London, Sun Breaking Through the Fog 1904

Le Parlement, Effetde Brouillard1904

Water Lilies

Water Lilies (The Clouds) 1903

Water Lilies, Green Reflection, Left Part 1916-1923

Water Lilies 1906

His Garden

As mentioned earlier, Monet loved his garden and produced many paintings within it.

Monet Paints His Garden

Japanese Bridge (The) 1899

Other Paintings by Monet

As well as painting his home and garden, Monet also painted pictures of other outside topics. These pieces of art included paintings of Poplar trees and of Poppy fields.

Monet and Modern Art

Some say it was the late paintings of Monet that first influenced modern abstract art. Some of his last paintings of his garden and pond at Giverny were often no more than flowing strokes of pure colour. These paintings would influence Jackson Pollock.

The following slides are pieces of Monet’s art work which have influenced abstract artists.

Spring at Giverny(1890)

The vivid colours and fast brushstrokes used in this painting almost make the trees look like they are on fire. The use of colour in this painting which varies from almost black to pure white gives the painting its abstract element. Monet meant this painting to be of trees in his home town but could it look like something else?

 Yellow and Purple Irises (1924-25)

      

This painting with its harsh brushstrokes and strong colours has all of the elements of a abstract painting. Without its name making the subject clear would you be able to figure out what the painting was of ?

Abstract Art

Abstract paintings have designs, shapes or colours that do not look like specific physical objects. As such, abstract paintings are a lot harder to understand than representational paintings. When you look at an abstract painting, you often have no idea what it is you are actually seeing.

References

Ø  Wikipedia,

Ø  Other  net survey.