Claude Monet

Claude Monet was a French artist who changed the way people paint. He was born in 1840. Monet loved to paint outdoors. He tried to capture how light changed throughout the day. His quick brushstrokes and bright colors showed moments in time. One of his paintings, called Impression, Sunrise, gave the Impressionist movement its name. Monet is one of the most beloved artists in history.

Painting Light

Monet was fascinated by how light changed everything. He would paint the same scene many times at different hours of the day. He painted haystacks in morning light, afternoon light, and sunset light. He also painted the Rouen Cathedral more than 30 times to show how it looked in different weather. His paintings are not sharp and detailed. Instead, they feel soft and shimmering, like a beautiful moment caught in time.

Monet's Garden

Later in life, Monet built a beautiful garden at his home in Giverny, France. He planted flowers and created a pond with water lilies and a Japanese bridge. Then he spent years painting his garden. His Water Lilies paintings are some of the most famous in the world. Some are so big they fill entire museum walls. Monet kept painting until he was very old, even when his eyesight got bad.

Fun Facts

• Monet painted his water lily pond more than 250 times over the last 30 years of his life.
• The Impressionist movement got its name from Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise, which a critic used as an insult.
• Monet's garden in Giverny, France, is still there today and visitors can walk through the same flowers he painted.

Did You Know?

Monet sometimes got so frustrated with his paintings that he would slash them with a knife or throw them into the pond in his garden!