The Life of Claude Monet - Essay Example

His mother was a musician and singing was part of Monet’s upbringing. His father was a shopkeeper but later was hired by hi half-sister Marie-Jeanne Gaillard’s husband called, Jacques Lecadre. The family had to relocate to Le Havre, on the Seine estuary, where Claude Monet received his primary education in a private school (Monet 2010 p. 1). Monet was an able and renowned artist who has produced masterpieces, nature being the focus of his pieces. It was at Seine estuary that Monet developed his artistic career.

His love and perception recorded in his first youthful painting of the harbors, shores and small sailing craft. He learnt to appreciate nature and became sensitive of the weather. His hatred for school started as a young boy instead choosing to spend most of his time drawing images of his teachers in his copybooks. He spent most of his time along cliff and on beaches avoiding going to school. Monet’s love for the sea was immense and he claimed that, "I should like to be always near it or on it, and when I die, to be buried in a buoy" (Monet 2010 p. 3). Most of the traits that made Monet a painter were evident by 1856 at age sixteen.

He lacked faith in anything drawn from experience and was not religious. Monet was stimulated by hostility, diversity and lacked need for social approval. Monet was also very persistent in anything that he wanted to pursue. He was a heavy eater, and it was said that he ate food enough for four men. While pursuing his studies at Le Harve school of Arts, Monet started selling charcoal paintings to locals in the area. While studying under Jacques-Francois Ochard for several years, Monet met Eugene Boudin who helped him master oil paints and ‘Plein air’ techniques.

After the passing away of his mother in 1857, Monet moved to live with his aunt Marie-Jeanne Lecadre (Artquotes p. 3). His observation of painters copying what famous artists had already done was evident in his tour of Louvre in Paris. As for Monet who travelled with his paints everywhere he went, he sat by the window and painted what was in view. He came closer to other painters during his visit to Paris. He met and befriended Edouard Manet. He went to Algeria and joined the first Regiment of African Light Cavalry in 1861, where he stayed for two years after contracting typhoid.

Due to his unfulfilled work at Algeria, Monet agreed to join a university. While studying, he met Charles Gleyre in 1862 and met Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frederic Bazille. They shared ideas on rapid and new painting techniques. Monet met Camille Doncieux during this time and in 1867, they had a son. Claude suffered financial difficulties and attempted suicide but Camille supported him and in 1870 they got married (Artquotes p. 6). Monet and Camille decided to leave France when the Franco-Prussian War broke out in July of 1870.

They took refuge in England and it was here that Monet studied famous artists like, John Constable and Joseph William Turner. Monet then moved to Zaandam after his works were denied exhibition at the Royal Academy. It was until in late 1871 that Monet returned to France settling in Argenteuil near Paris. It was while at Argenteuil that Monet focused on developing his impressionistic style, where he painted the famous impression, sunrise in 1872 which he later named the impressionist movement.

Camille was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1876, and never fully