Oscar-Claude Monet (1840-1926) stands as a renowned French painter and a foundational figure in the Impressionist movement, collaborating with friends like Renoir, Sisley, and Bazille.
Monet boldly departed from the traditional landscape painting approach, forgoing the emulation of old masters in favor of learning from his contemporaries and nature itself. He meticulously observed the ever-changing interplay of color and light, influenced by the daily and seasonal transformations.
Claude Monet entered this world on November 14, 1840, in the ninth arrondissement of Paris, specifically on the fifth floor of 45 rue Laffitte. Born to Claude Adolphe Monet and Louise-Justine Aubree, he was their second son. His artistic journey began on April 1, 1851, when he enrolled in the Le Havre secondary school of the arts. It was here that he initially gained local recognition for his charcoal caricatures, which fetched ten to twenty francs. Monet embarked on his first formal drawing lessons under Jacques-Francois Ochard, a former student of Jacques-Louis David. Around 1856/1857, while on the Normandy beaches, he encountered fellow artist Eugéne Boudin, who would become his mentor. Under Boudin's guidance, Monet acquired essential skills in working with oil paints and adopted the "en plein air" (outdoor) technique for painting.
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