Claude Monet

Pioneered Impressionism by capturing light's ephemeral qualities

Claude Monet (1840–1926) revolutionized art through his Impressionist techniques that prioritized sensory experience over precise representation. His 1872 painting Impression, Sunrise gave the movement its name after critics mocked its loose brushwork.

Monet's innovations included:

• En plein air painting
• Serial works (Haystacks/Rouen Cathedral)
• Broken color technique

His later Water Lilies series at Giverny created immersive environments that anticipated Abstract Expressionism. Monet's focus on temporal changes in light conditions (painting the same subject at different times) challenged academic art conventions.

Through 2,500+ works, Monet expanded color theory and influenced:

• Post-Impressionists (Van Gogh)
• Abstract artists (Pollock)
• Modern installation art

His 1891 Poplars series demonstrated radical compositional cropping that inspired Japanese print aesthetics in Western art. Today, Monet's works command record prices, with Meules selling for $110.7 million in 2019.