Monet, born Oscar Claude Monet is the daddy of the French Impressionist movement. I call him the daddy of the movement because when other impressionist painters gaze upon his work, a feeling of inadequacy coasts their hearts as a voice in their head asks “Who’s your daddy?” in a Barry White tone.
Monet lived a rather normal life and was not inspired by his painful existence, like Frida Kahlo and Van Gogh. Monet painted about the impressions garnered from his Parisian lifestyle. Strangely enough, this innovative idea was unpopular at the time. Monet was rejected in 1860’s by the Académie des Beaux-Arts. The Académie des Beaux-Arts was and still is an influential Art Academy created in 1816. In that time, the Academy ran schools of instruction, held exhibitions, and provided venues where artists could display their work and encourage notice. Here, fresh artists could hope to gain recognition or official patronage. As always, there is a price to pay for such accolades. The fact that the Académie des Beaux-Arts was governed by an institutional structure, certain standards became a necessity in order to be successful. Despite not receiving such this boon, Monet decided to hold his own exhibition.
Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley organized the: “Société anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs et graveurs” (Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers) in late 1873. This venue existed to allow the artist to show their work without the interference of a jury nor suffer the stifling constraints of the Salon de Paris. The first Impressionist exhibition was held in 1874 in Capucines, Paris, where Monet showcased the,” Impression, soleil levant” which put the name Impressionism on the map.
His paintings are powerfully realistic and if you stare at them long enough you are bound to get lost in them as you unconscious casts yourself as a character among its casts. Enjoy these paintings because they are one of the purest ways to experience the Parisian lifestyle and landscapes from a lavish time in French history. I really enjoy reading your comments about how these paintings make you feel and which are your favorites. Please leave them below.
Monet Paintings, The Early Work
The beginning of Impressionist art
1. A Hunter And His Dog On A Boat – 1858
2. Still Life with Pheasant – 1861
3. Le Pave de Chailly or The Road from Bas-Breau – 1865
Argenteuil (1872 – 1875)
Family life at Argenteuil
4. “Les Coquelicots à Argenteuil” – 1873
5. “La maison de l’Artiste à Argenteuil” – 1873
6. “Le Déjeuner” – 1873
Boats at Argenteuil
7. “Le bassin d’Argenteuil” – 1872
8. “Le Pont d’Argenteuil” – 1874
9. “Le Bassin d’Argenteuil” – 1874
Vétheuil (1879 -1882)
The village of Vetheuil
10. “Sentier dans les coquelicots, île Saint-Martin” – 1880
11. “Vétheuil en été” – 1880
12. “Le Jardin de Vétheuil” 1881
By the river side at Vetheuil
13. “La Seine à Vétheuil” – 1879
14. “Vue de Vétheuil” – 1880
15. “Les Saules” – 1880
Travels
Bordighera – Italy (1884)
16. “Bordighera” – 1884
17. “Villas à Bordighera” – 1884
18. Les villas à Bordighera” – 1884
The Netherlands (1886)
19. “hamp de tulipes, Hollande” – 1886
20. “A Sassenheim près de Haarlem, champ de tulipes” – 1886
Antibes – France (1888)
21. “Montagnes de l’Estérel” – 1888
22. “Maison du jardinier à Antibes” – 1888
23. “Antibes vue de la Salis” – 1888
London – England (1900,1903)
24. “Waterloo Bridge, soleil dans le brouillard” – 1899-1901
25. “Waterloo Bridge, soleil voilé” – 1899-1901
26. “Le Parlement, trouée de soleil dans le brouilard” – 1900-1901
Venice – Italy (1908)
27. San Giorgio Maggiore at Twilight – 1908
28. The Palazzo da Mula – 1908
29. The Palazzo Dario – 1908
Themes and series
Gardens (1873 – 1876)
30. “Le Jardin de Monet à Argenteuil (les Dahlias)” – 1873
32. ”Au Jardin, la famille de l’artiste” – 1875
Haystacks (1890 – 1891)
33. “Meules, fin de l’été, effet du matin” – 1892
34. ”Les Meules, effet de gelée blanche” – 1889
Trees, poplars (1890 – 1891)
32. Springtime at Giverny – 1892
The Sea (1882, 1886)
33. “La Maison du pêcheur, Varengeville” – 1882
Flower bouquets (1880 – 1883)
34. “Bouquet de soleils” – 1881
Woman with a parasols (1875, 1886-87)
35. “La Promenade (Argenteuil)” – 1875
Rouen Cathedral (1892, 1894)
36. The Portal, Hamony in Brown – 1892
Giverny (1883 – 1926)
The village of Giverny
37. “Champ de coquelicots à Giverny” – 1885
Nympheas Serie (1) (1897 – 1908)
38. “Nymphéas, effet du soir”- 1897
The japanese bridge over the Water-Lily Pond (1899 – 1900)
39. “Le Bassin aux nymphéas” – 1899
Nympheas Serie (2) (1914 – 1919)
40. “Nymphéas” – 1914-1917
By the waterlily pond (1914 – 1925)
41. “Nymphéas”- 1916-1919
The Grand Decorations and the Donation to the Orangerie (1920 – 1926)
42. “L’Agapanthe (central part of the triptych)” -1920-1922