Monet, Claude

We Specialize in Claude Monet Oil Painting Reproductions Art on Canvas

The French painter, Claude Monet, was at the forefront of the artistic revolution known as Impressionism. His style of painting, which focused on the effect that light has on a subject, has changed the way that artists approach color in their paintings. He is best known for painting outdoor scenes, most notably those within his coveted gardens.

Like many of the Impressionist artists of the 19th century, Monet wasn’t immediately successful. His style, which included heavy brush strokes with little attention to detail, kept him from initially profiting from his paintings. He spent much of his early years traveling between France and England, looking for work and painting the landscapes that he saw.

Appreciation for Monet’s artwork came only after the death of his first wife, Camille. Amidst his grief, he formed a partnership with Paul Durand-Ruel, a French art dealer who specialized in Impressionist painting. Free from selling his artwork, Monet bought a home with a small garden, in order to paint full time.

It was during this time that Monet began working on his ‘series’ paintings. In these paintings, Monet played with the effect that light and the weather had on various scenes around his home. In his popular ‘Haystack’ series, he illustrated how sunlight can change the look of a haystack at different times throughout the day. For this project, Monet painted the series at the same time, moving from one canvas to the next as the sunlight changed throughout the day.

Though Monet’s paintings are beautiful, they also capture some of the hardship that he experienced in his later life. After developing cataracts that blurred his vision, there was a marked difference in the paintings that he completed during the final years of his life. These paintings, which include some of his water lilies and willow paintings, have blurrier brush strokes and less vibrant colors than his earlier artwork. Even with his failing eyesight, Monet continued to paint until he was nearly blind.

Monet’s paintings are some of the most sought after in the world. His attention to color allowed him to capture the feel of natural light in his paintings, an effect missing in earlier work by other artists. Monet’s home and garden, which inspired so much of his painting while he was alive, remains open to the public where it is visited by thousands of art enthusiasts every year.