Image via en.wikipedia.org
Claude Monet was a french impressionist painter who revolutionized art in that he depicted everyday life and contemporary subject matter, with scenes ranging from the Normandy countryside to Parisians performing leisurely activity. His impressionist style was highlighted by his depiction of light and an emphasis on the ephemeral and ever-changing nature of a particular scene. Monet’s work was extremely personal, as he painted his surroundings and loved ones, including his wife, Camille, and his second wife, Alice. Monet was committed to capturing the most naturalistic representation of the scenes he was observing. In the 1890s, he began painting series in which he painted the same site multiple times at different times of the day to demonstrate the changing light and shadow, thus the context became less important and it was more about demonstrating the interplay of the changing elements on a certain scene.
Monet’s work was characterized by portraying the moment of his experience versus an allegory or narrative. His point of view was part of the content, as he abandoned subject matter in favor of his own individual sensation. His work are centered on the themes of leisure, consumption, spontaneity, individualism, and the idea that moments are ephemeral.