From Paris

Claude Monet

Claude Monet (1840–1926) was a French painter and one of the founders of Impressionism, a revolutionary art movement that transformed modern painting. He is best known for his innovative approach to capturing light, atmosphere, and the fleeting effects of nature through loose brushwork and vibrant color. Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise (1872) gave the Impressionist movement its name and symbolized a radical break from academic traditions. Throughout his career, Monet focused primarily on landscapes and scenes of everyday life, often painting the same subject repeatedly at different times of day and in varying weather conditions. His famous series—such as Water Lilies, Haystacks, and Rouen Cathedral—demonstrate his deep fascination with changing light and color. In his later years, Monet created the monumental Water Lilies paintings at his garden in Giverny, works that remain among the most influential and celebrated achievements in Western art history.