Claude Monet - Artist Biography

Claude Monet is truly one of the most beloved artists of the last few centuries. His style is immediately recognizable and hard to dislike: it offers a radiant view of nature and a color palette that inspires. One of the foremost Impressionists, Monet left a mark on the world of painting that will not soon be forgotten.

The Life of Monet
Born in Paris in 1840, Claude Oscar Monet soon moved with his family to the northern town of Le Havre. After the death of his mother at the age of 17, Monet began painting and soon met Eugene Boudin, who pushed him to try painting outdoor landscapes. Monet agreed, and his interest in nature painting quickly deepened.

By the late 1860s, Monet had met many of the artists who would form the nucleus of the Impressionist movement. Among them were Renoir, Sisley and Bazille. With these fellow artists, Monet would travel out to the forests of Fountainebleau to paint landscapes in the fresh air. The results were unconventional and surprising, and were criticized by the art mavens of the time.

It wasn't until the 1880s that the general public began to appreciate the value of Monet and his fellow Impressionists. They finally began to sell their paintings, and the popularity of Impressionism seemed to increase each year. To this day, Impressionist paintings are beloved by people all over the world. PosterCheckOut offers many of the Monet's paintings (and those of his fellow Impressionists) in high quality poster reproductions.