Claude Monet
November 14, 1840 – December 5, 1926

Claude Monet is considered the quintessential Impressionist artist. In fact, his painting “Impression:Sunrise” done in 1872 gave its name to the movement.
Monet was born in Paris in 1840 and first became involved in art by revealing his drawing skills and creating caricatures of his teachers at school. He found this to be lucrative and followed up his success after finishing school by doing satirical drawings which he exhibited in the window of a frame makers shop. Despite his early success, his father gave no support to his son’s activities. When he was seventeen his mother passed away and he began a close relationship with his aunt who was herself an amateur painter. He was also introduced to an artist named Eugene Brodin who encouraged Monet to try open air landscape painting, which at the time was considered one of the lowest forms of art and nearly incapable of selling.

Monet was enthusiastic and decided to become a painter. He then began studying at a studio in Paris with fellow students Alfred Sisley, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissaro and Frederic Bazille. The group soon became friends and began painting outside regularly and developing their techniques.

Monet’s disappointed father saw his son’s conviction and decided to help him apply for a public scholarship to help with his training. The scholarship was denied. Monet then took all his savings from his previous career as a caricaturist and set out at once to paint full time.