Oscar-Claude Monet was a 19th-century painter who specialized in Impressionism. He is often thought to be the “leader of the Impressionist movement.” Monet mainly painted in France, all along the coast. He was a traditional canvas painter, known for his fast brush strokes and vibrant colors. In fact, Monet never used black in his work; he instead used dark paints that would trick the viewer’s eyes.

Even if he is a well-known painter, he naturally had his own struggles. Monet suffered from mental health issues, and at the young age of 28, he attempted suicide by jumping into the Seine. He struggled heavily with rejection and poverty during this time. His passions for painting and gardening carried him through, and his mental state improved with time. 

Later in life, he was diagnosed with a condition called cataracts that made his natural creativity very difficult to pursue. Cataracts make the lens of your eye much more cloudy, and are often acquired by aging, showing up often late in life. This affected his work greatly, as he had to label his paints and wear a large straw hat outside when he worked. While it may have caused struggle, his subsequent broader brushstrokes are partially what made his style so impressionable. His work was considered to be “more abstract” after the effects of cataracts.

His most famous painting is considered to be “Impression, Sunrise” because it started the Impressionist movement. It has a bold, focal sunrise over a sleepy harbor with distant ships. His next most popular piece is “Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies,” which is commonly referred to in art culture today. It shows a bridge in Monet’s personal garden at his home. Another important piece to mention is “Women with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son,” which shows Monet’s wife and their son. This painting took far longer than his regular creations, yet he continued to create a few very similar to it later on in his life.

Monet’s work can be dated back to 1858, when he was as young as 18-years-old. They only ended at the end of his life in 1926. Monet lived for 86 years, spending most of it pursuing what he enjoyed. He is a well-celebrated painter now, nearly one hundred years after his death. 

Monet is even referred to more recently, particularly by Banksy. The piece was a social commentary called “Show Me The Monet,” and was a parody of Monet’s many water lily paintings.

In all, the father of Impressionism created a strong impression on society, and we continue to see his works adored and studied even today. Despite the struggles he faced in life, he is still well celebrated in death now, and for many years to come.