Also known as Oscar Claude Monet or Claude Oscar Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement’s philosophy of expressing one’s perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. The term Impressionism is derived from the title of his painting Impression, Sunrise
Biography of Claude MONET
1840 – Birth of Claude Oscar MONET on November 14th in Paris.
1845 – The family moves to Le Havre.
1857 – Death of his mother Louise Monet.
1858 – Claude Monet meets Eugène Boudin who encourages him to paint out of doors.
1859 – Monet comes to Paris and enters the Swiss Academy.
1860 – Monet meets Pissaro and Courbet.
1863 – Monet discovers Manet’s painting and paints “en plein air” in the Fontainebleau forest.
1864 – Monet stays in Honfleur with Boudin, Bazille, Jondkind. He meets his first art lover : Gaudibert.
1865 – Monet’s paintings are submitted for the first time to the official Salon. Camille Doncieux his lady friend and Bazille pose for Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe (the Picnic).
1867 – Birth of his first son Jean Monet while Claude Monet is in Sainte-Adresse.
1868 – Monet tries to commit suicide. He receives a pension from Mr Gaudibert. He paints in Fecamp and Etretat.
1869 – Monet settles in the village of Saint-Michel near Bougival where he paints in company of Renoir.
1870 – Monet marries Camille, Courbet is his witness. They take refuge in London when the war begins.
1871 – Monet meets Durand-Ruel in London with Pissaro and Daubigny. Death of his father. Monet settles at Argenteuil after visiting the Netherlands.
1873 – Monet meets Caillebotte.
1874 – Monet exhibits “Impression : sunrise” at the first Impressionist exhibition in the studio of Nadar.
1876 – Monet meets Ernest and Alice Hoschedé.
1877 – Bankruptcy of Ernest Hoschedé. Monet paints the Saint-Lazare train station.
1878 – Birth of Michel Monet, his second son. Monet and his family settle at Vétheuil in compagny of the family Hoschedé.
1879 – Death of Camille.
1881 – The family moves to Poissy.
1883 – Monet rents a house at Giverny. He will stay there for 43 years.
1887 – Monet exhibits in New-York thanks to Durand-Ruel.
1889 – Monet exhibits with Rodin.
1890 – Monet purchases the house in Giverny and begins the digging for the nympheas basin.
1891 – Death of Ernest Hoschedé. Monet paints the series of Meules (Haystacks) and of Peupliers (Poplars)
1892 – Monet paints the Rouen Cathedrals series. He marries Alice in July.
1894 – Visit of Mary Cassatt and of Cézanne at Giverny. Rodin, Clémenceau and Geffroy are present.
1900 – Monet paints several views of the Japanese bridge. He takes several trips to London and paints views of the Thames.
1904 – Monet travels to Madrid and admires the paintings of Velasquez.
1907 – First problems with his eyesight. Monet discovers Venice.
1911 – Death of Alice.
1914 – Death of Jean, Monet’s eldest son. Blanche moves to live near Claude Monet.
1916 – The artist decides to build a large studio of 23 m x 12m at Giverny.
1916 – 1926 – Claude Monet works on twelve large canvas, The Water Lilies. Following the signing of the Armistice, Monet offers to donate them to France. Theses paintings will be installed in an architectural space designed specifically for them at the museum of the Orangerie in Paris.
1923 – Monet is nearly blind. He has an operation from the cataract in one eye. His sight improves.
1926 – In February Monet is still painting. But he suffers from lung cancer. He dies on December 5th. He is buried in a simple ceremony at Giverny. His friend Georges Clémenceau attends the ceremony.
Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny. Located 80 km West from Paris France in the village of Giverny, 4 km from the town of Vernon, Claude Monet House and Gardens are now open to visitors. Visit and see the water lily pond, Japanese bridge, Grande Allee, flower garden and more.
