7 facts about Claude Monet: the path from amateur cartoonist to impressionist genius

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

On November 14, 1840, one of the most famous impressionists in the world was born, recognizable for its color and delicate landscapes filled with air and light - Claude Monet. He became an artist by the will of fate - 100 thousand francs, which he won in the lottery, allowed him to leave his job as a messenger and devote himself to painting. However, there were many amazing things in the life of Claude Monet.

The great impressionist began with cartoons

Claude Monet was born in Paris, but after 5 years his family moved to Le Havre (Normandy), where the father of the future artist kept a grocery store. Claude Monet's parents were extremely stingy, therefore, in order to earn pocket money, at the age of 14, Monet began to draw cartoons of friends and local residents. The drawings, which the young artist sold for 15-20 francs, were incredibly popular. Despite his passion for cartoons, Monet was never interested in painting until he met Eugene Boudin, his future mentor, who invited him to paint in the "open air".

Monet gave birth to the term "impressionism"

The term "impressionism" appeared thanks to Monet's painting "Impression. The Rising Sun ", which was exhibited at the first major exhibition of the Impressionists, in the studio of the photographer Nadar in the spring of 1874, and was named" Exhibition of the Rebels ". A total of 165 works by thirty artists were presented at the exhibition. It is worth noting that at that time still lifes and landscapes of Monet and his associates were accused of rebellious moods, immorality and insolvency. Scourging the exhibition, the little-known journalist Louis Leroy in his material in the magazine "Le Charivari" scornfully called the artists "impressionists". The artists accepted this epithet from the challenge. Over time, it has lost its original negative meaning.

It is interesting that the best work of impressionism in painting is also considered to be a picture of Claude Monet. And this despite the fact that by the time the artist began to paint the famous "Water Lilies", he was already losing his sight.

Most of Monet's paintings show the same woman

If you look closely at the women in Claude Monet's paintings, there will definitely be Camille Domcuse, his favorite model and wife. She posed for him for many canvases, including such famous ones as "The Lady in Green", "Women in the Garden", "Madame Monet with her Son", "Portrait of Claude Monet's Wife on the Sofa". Madame Monet gave birth to the artist two sons (the first child even before the official marriage). However, the birth of her second baby weakened her health and, shortly after the second birth, she died. Claude Monet painted a posthumous portrait of his wife.

The most expensive painting by Claude Monet

The painting "Pond with water lilies" or, as this canvas is also called - "Pond with water lilies", painted by Monet in 1919, is the most expensive painting of this master. In 2008, at Christie's auction in London, this painting was sold for fabulous money - $ 80 million. Today "Pond with Water Lilies" ranks ninth in the ranking of the most expensive paintings in the world, sold at auctions. It is not known who acquired this painting and where it is now. As a rule, private collectors, purchasing such works, prefer to remain anonymous.

Claude Monet is in the top 3 most expensive artists in the world

Claude Monet, according to the results of open auctions, until 2013 occupies the third line in the ranking of the most expensive artists in the world. In total, 208 of his works were sold at auctions for a total of $ 1,622, 200 million. The average cost of one painting by Monet is $ 7, 799 million. The most expensive paintings of Monet are considered "Water Lilies" (1905) - $ 43 million. 1873) - $ 41 million. "Water Lilies" (1904) - $ 36 million. "Waterloo Bridge. Cloudy "(1904) - $ 35 million." Path to the pond "(1900) - $ 32 million." Pond with water lilies "(1917) - $ 24 million." Poplar "(1891) - $ 22 million." Parliament building. Sunlight in the Fog "(1904) - $ 20 million." Parliament, Sunset "(1904) - $ 14 million.

Where are the paintings of the great Monet kept today?

Today the artist's works are scattered all over the world. The largest countries that own Monet's paintings are Russia, the USA and the UK. However, you can find the artist's paintings in many other museums, both in Europe and abroad. Several paintings by Claude Monet are even in museums in New Zealand. A significant part of the artist's works belongs to private collections, therefore these paintings are closed to the general public. Only sometimes the once acquired works are returned from the hands of collectors to museums or go to auctions.

In Russia at the Pushkin Museum. A. S. Pushkin, there are such famous paintings as "Lilac in the sun" in 1873 and "Breakfast on the grass" in 1866. The painting "Parliament, the effect of fog" is in St. Petersburg in the Hermitage. Several works by Claude Monet are kept in Paris in the Musée d'Orsay. There are many works in the USA, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, as well as in the Museum of Art located in Philadelphia. In London, Monet's paintings are exhibited at the National Gallery.

Abduction of Monet's paintings

Claude Monet's paintings have repeatedly become the objects of desire of criminals. It is a known fact when the thief of Monet's painting "The Beach at Purville", which was exhibited at the National Museum of Poland, laughed at the employees, cutting the famous masterpiece out of the frame, and inserted an inferior reproduction in its place. They noticed the substitution on September 19, and when exactly the theft took place, it remained unknown. The perpetrator was a 41-year-old man, and the stolen painting was found in his house.

In October 2012, the Kunstel Museum in Rotterdam was robbed. 7 masterpieces were stolen, among which was the famous "Waterloo Bridge" by Claude Monet. This robbery turned out to be the largest in the last 20 years. Following an investigation, experts suspect that the stolen paintings may have been burned.

Claude Monet was born 173 years ago, his paintings are on the crest of popularity today, and especially ardent and talented admirers of impressionism devote their creations to him. An example of this installation "Poppy field" Claude Cormier, inspired by the paintings of Claude Monet.