Sarah Koerber

French Culture

Reinholz

10 June 2009

 

~Nom~

Claude Monet

 

~Pays/Ville~

I was born in Paris, France

 

~Details Personnels:~

     I am known for my influence on the Impressionist style of art. Impressionism is a type of painting developed in 1870 that depicts objects of nature by dabbing primary unmixed color paints in order to form the appearance of actual reflected light. Most of my paintings depict peaceful settings, like activities along the Seine or people in the park or any other outdoor scene. I first got into painting when I was eighteen years old in 1858, and entered the Swiss Academy a year later to continue pursuing my interests. I continued to paint for several years and then went on to have my first son Jean Monet in 1867. However, I attempted to commit suicide only a year later after a rough period that all artists seem to have. I decided afterward to occupy myself and continue painting.

     I married my first wife in 1870, Camille, and we hid out in London when the war began. I continued my painting, having several exhibitions over the years and in eight years my second son, Michel was born. Everything seemed to be going great until my wife died in 1879. I moved around a bit and married again in 1892. I painted views of the river Thames in London during my stay there, and experienced some more hard times when Alice, my second wife, died in 1911, with my son Jean dying only three years later. Life continued and I painted as I grew older and older. Eventually, in 1923 I began to lose my sight. It was only three years later after my vision had improved that I died of lung cancer and old age. I've left a legacy of my paintings, and many people recognize me as one of the most famous impressionist artists of my time.

 

 

~Date de Naissance:~

November 14, 1840

 

~Date de Mort:~

December 5, 1926

 

~Sexe:~

Male

 

~Croyances Politiques:~

I prefer to keep my political views disclosed.

 

~Croyances Religieuses:~

Protestant 

 

~Situation de Famille:~

I had two wives, my last being Alice Monet, who died in 1911. 

 

~Enfants:~

 Jean Monet, born 1867; Michel Monet, born 1878.

 

~En Cherchant:~

     I've always been looking for different ways to apply new painting techniques. I experimented all the time when I first started painting, and because of that I have been able to make there be an appearance of light and temperature in a painting. I also look for new ways to do strokes, since most of my strokes are short and thick instead of long and light. A lot of artists try to make their paintings look realistic, while I have always wanted my paintings to have feeling. 

 

~Metier:~

My life long passion and job is painting, I promised myself that I would paint for my entire life, and I did.

 

 

~Interets/Loisirs:~

• Impressionist Painting
• I enjoy peaceful activities, like taking walks in the park 

 

~Accomplissements:~

• I've painted an uncountable amount of paintings, present in galleries all over the world
• I am known as the Father of Imperialism
• My paintings are not just replicas of buildings and scenery, they capture light in a way that makes them appear realistic and give off not just a feeling of beauty, but also a feeling of warmth or cold.

 

~Education:~

I attended Swiss Academy in 1859 to launch my career as a painter.

 

~Romans Favoris:~

I don't have many favorite books, I was never really into literature.

 

~Musique Preferee:~

During my time the most popular music genre was classical, of course. It wasn't until around the time I died that I could listen to anything other than violin strings and piano keys.

 

~Personnage que je voudrais rencontrer et pourquoi: ~

Since I have met and worked with the first impressionists who's first exihibition took place in 1874, I would find it interesting to meet all sorts of present day impressionists and see how my ideas and others have been incorporated into their work.

  

~Amis:~

Eugène Boudin was a good friend of mine; he was the first one to ever suggested me to paint outdoors. If it weren't for him, I might not have the same passion and influence for and on the world of art. Gaudibert was one of the first people I ever met who had the same passion for art as I. I always also close with my first wife, Camille, who originally posed for me in my first paintings, when I was still in my late teens and early twenties.

 

~Sports:~

I never really had much interest in sports, even when I was a little boy.

 

~Citation Memorable:~

• Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love. ~Claude Monet
• I am following Nature without being able to grasp her, I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~Claude Monet

 

~Mon Influence sur la Culture Francaise:~

     I am known by many as the Father of Impressionism. It was my painting career that got others interested in impressionism, and depicting light and nature the way I did. Today you can see my paintings hanging up in galleries all over the world, in classrooms, and perhaps your family even has a print of one of my famous works. The ideas that I brought forth during my career were used by other impressionists in later years, famous artists such as Cézanne, Pissarro, and Renoir. The way I varied my painting technique depicted different moods that can be seen just by looking at my paintings. Many artists continue to look at my paintings and try to create the same emotion that I have.

     In the present, I have become a subject of importance in the eyes of young artists and art teachers. I am a figure that is often talked about and referred to in the training of new-generation artists, not only within my native country of France and other areas around Europe, but across the world in places like the United States or Asia.     

 

 

(This painting above is one of a series of paintings I created just like it, of the same bridge only in different seasons. You can tell just by looking at the colors and the way the light is cast that this picture is warm, and this picture was painted in the summer.)

     Many of my quotes and my principles are still taken into account today, making me influential as an artist, and also as an intuitive person in how I was able to look at things and analyze them in a way that they normally would not be viewed. People still attempt to use my practices today, and even though I would never want to say that I am conceited, I believe that I have left a large footprint in not just the world of impressionism, but the entire world of painting as well.

 

 

Resources:

 

Biography of Claude Monet. Givernet. 9 June 2009

              <http://giverny.org/monet/biograph/>.

 

Claude Monet. Artchive. 9 June 2009.

<http://www.artchive.com/artchive/M/monet.html>.

 

Claude Monet Quotes. Brainy Quotes. 9 June 2009

<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/claude_monet.html>.

 

 "impressionism." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009.

Merriam-Webster Online. 4 June 2009

<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impressionism>.

 

 Monet's Water Lilies Are Shown at the Musée de L'Orangerie, May 17, 1927." DISCovering World History. Online      Edition. Gale, 2003. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale.      < http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/ >.