Monet's Life

Author: Zhong Liu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Monet became the founder of the "Impressionist" style and was recognized by his friends as the "leader," due to his unwavering strong will. As is well-known, Impressionism signifies a transformation in perception and observation, not only changing painting but also sculpture, music, and literature. Even today, it has not lost its influence and continues to shape us. Monet was born on October 14, 1840, in Paris. He once lived with his father in the coastal town of Le Havre, where he worked in a grocery store, and from a young age, he detested school, viewing it as a "prison." He spent his days wandering by the sea like a vagrant. He once said, "I would like to stand forever before the sea or on the crest of the waves." He loved painting, and by the age of 15, his works were exhibited in Bodin's frame shop, where he received advice from Bodin: "Anything you paint on the spot often carries a force and vitality of brushwork that you can no longer find in a studio." Bodin's advice permeated Monet's soul, becoming his lifelong artistic pursuit: "I want to express my impression before the fleeting effects." At the age of 19, he came to Paris, but his father hoped he would study at the under renowned painters. However, his rebellious nature led him to reject academic education and instead spend his time visiting various exhibitions and engaging in discussions with other anti-academic young painters. Monet did not evade military service. He was assigned to the African in Algeria, where he spent two years that were extremely tough but wonderful for a young painter. Due to illness, he was redeemed by his father and returned to France, where he painted on the beaches of his hometown, Le Havre, and met the nature-loving painter Bazille. Monet said, "From that time on, he became my true teacher, completing the education of my eyes in observing things." At the age of 22, Monet returned to Paris to study and joined the studio of the classical academic painter Gleyre, where he met his classmates Bazille, Renoir, and Sisley. They formed the "Four Friends Group," and the three obedient friends, along with Monet, began to lean toward leaving the studio to learn from the Louvre and nature. After completing his studies, he completely shifted his focus to drawing in the Forest of Fontainebleau and the natural landscapes of his hometown. He began to uniquely and passionately depict the light and colors of nature. Monet was concerned with the entire natural world, and in his paintings, people and nature were harmoniously integrated. They merged into the scenery, sunlight, and air, all of which were further blended into the brilliant, vibrant, yet harmonious colors unique to the painter. Color was the note that depicted the magnificent symphony of nature! Monet studied color, becoming so immersed in it that while caring for his sick wife, he subconsciously observed and searched for the fading signs of death on her face, noticing subtle changes in blue, yellow, and gray. He once said, "When you paint, try to forget the object before you—a tree, a field. Just think of it as a patch of blue, a long streak of pink, a line of yellow, and then accurately paint the colors and shapes you observe until it captures your initial impression." Monet placed great importance on brushwork, which became the soul of color expression. Different brushstrokes could convey different textures and dynamics of objects, and he used them to fully express color in a way that aligned with the natural world. At the age of 29, he began painting with Renoir on the Seine River, where they were moved by the shimmering and flickering light on the water and mesmerized by the rapidly changing rich colors. As a result, they naturally developed swift, rough brushstrokes and brilliant, mottled patches of color. Through their rapid, bold brushwork, they acquired an effective method for capturing fleeting impressions. Before the birth of the Paris Commune, Monet had participated in the National Guard to defend the Republic alongside the painter Bazille, who later died heroically in battle. Monet later went to England, where he met Pissarro, and traveled through the Netherlands for sketching. Upon returning to France, he painted with Renoir and exhibited his groundbreaking work, Impression, Sunrise, in 1874. At the age of 43, having lost his mother and son, Monet settled with Alice in the village of Giverny, 40 kilometers away from Paris, where he lived and painted in seclusion for another 43 years, creating many works, including the famous Water Lilies, which became his masterpiece in his later years. On November 5, 1926, at the age of 86, the father of Impressionism left this world, forever leaving behind the sunlight and colors he loved.