Claude Monet

Claude Monet

Claude Monet, pronounced moh NAY or maw NEH, (1840-1926), a French painter, was a leader of the impressionist movement. He influenced art by trying to paint his personal, spontaneous response to outdoor scenes or events. Earlier artists had also painted outdoor studies rapidly--almost in shorthand. But they used such studies as "notes" for more elaborate pictures painted in the studio. Monet was the most important of the artists who first allowed their initial impressions of outdoor scenes to stand as complete works. He was especially concerned with the effect of outdoor light and atmosphere. Monet's fascination with light led him to paint several series of pictures showing the effect of sunlight on a subject. For example, he painted views of a cathedral or of a haystack under changing atmospheric conditions and at different hours of the day. An example is Rouen Cathedral, Full Sunlight.

Excerpt adapted from the "Monet, Claude," article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999