Oscar-Claude Monet is one of the most celebrated artists in the modern era. His beloved paintings of serene gardens, water lilies, and Japanese bridges are just of the masterpieces that he made that earned him the recognition of being a co-founder of French Impressionism and a forerunner of modern painting. Most of the world knows him for being a master painter, but there’s more to Monet than his artworks.
So here are some of the things you may not know about Claude Monet.
He Was A Depressed Man
Monet’s artistic skills were already evident at an early age. But despite being a skilled artist, his father did not support him for he wanted Claude to continue the family’s ship supplier and grocery business.
Nonetheless, he pursued his passion in the arts even if it meant being financially challenged. And because of this, he lived a miserable life for several years as his artworks were mostly rejected in art exhibits. This made him doubt in his skills and became even more frustrated to the point that he almost drowned himself in the Seine River.
He Held Guns Aside From Paintbrushes
In 1861, Claude Monet was forced to join the military where he was assigned to Algeria, a territory that was previously controlled by France. He was supposed to serve there for 7 years.
His father offered to pay in exchange for discharge of his military services on the condition that he would stop doing artworks, but he insisted on continuing his military service as he did not want to abandon art.
Eventually, he suffered from typhoid fever and was released from the military after his aunt paid for his discharge, which then also helped him to be enrolled in an art school.
He Created The Term “Impressionism”
Monet formed a group of frustrated artists to organize an art exhibition featuring groundbreaking artworks with vivid colors and seemingly fragmented brushstrokes. One critic compared his “Impression, Sunrise” painting to that of an unfinished sketch. And as a result, the term “Impressionism” was coined to describe radically new and different paintings.
He Also Made A Pastel Painting
And finally, even though Claude Monet is known for his oil paintings he also created pastel artworks. His masterpiece made from pastel was discovered in 2015 while it was hidden behind one of his drawings. He made this painting at around the same time when made a suicide attempt at the Seine River.
Art lovers and aficionados can purchase fine art prints from Claude Monet and other famous artists like Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci and many more by visiting Meisterdrucke’s website. They offer worldwide shipping and they’ve got over half a million works of art to choose from. Check out their collection today.
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