Claude Monet popular paintings. Monet's paintings: names and photos

Even a person far from the world of art has heard the name at least once in his life French artist Claude Monet. He went from poverty and persecution to worldwide recognized genius impressionism. The most famous paintings by Claude Monet are kept in best museums peace, art galleries and private collections. The cost of some of the artist’s works reaches more than $40 million.

Field of poppies near Argenteuil

"Field of poppies near Argenteuil", written in 1873, is one of the most famous paintings Claude Monet.

It depicts the artist's wife and son. They walk towards the viewer through tall grass dotted with bright poppies. At the top of the hill, Monet painted two more people and connected all four figures with a barely visible path in the grass.

This is interesting: in his youth Monet had no intention of tying his later life with painting. If it were not for the meeting of the future artist with Eugene Boudin, who became his mentor, the world would have lost the founder of a new movement in painting.

Terrace at Sainte-Adres

"Terrace at Sainte-Adresse", written in 1867. This is one of early masterpieces artist. The painting reflects one of the moments in the artist’s life. Mona had to return home due to financial problems. The canvas depicts the artist and his father - they are sitting in armchairs. A little further away stands Cousin Monet with someone unknown.

The painting was painted at a time when the artist had not yet become interested in impressionism - it is characterized by a precise composition and careful depiction of details.

The painting can be seen in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is interesting: Monet began earning pocket money at the age of 14 by drawing caricatures. His drawings were extremely popular among local residents.

Breakfast on the grass

Perhaps one of the most famous paintings by Claude Monet is "Breakfast on the Grass". It was painted in 1866 and is now in the Pushkin Museum. A.S. Pushkin.

The history of the creation of this masterpiece is very interesting. In 1895, in Chailly, the artist began work on big picture, but he didn’t like the finished version, and Manet left for Paris, leaving the canvas to the owner of the house that the artist was renting as collateral. Returning to Chailly, he discovered that the painting had suffered from neglect. To save her, Manet cut the canvas into three parts. A year later, having again arrived in Chailly, he painted a small copy of a large painting.

This is interesting: Even before meeting his future mentor, Eugene Boudin, Monet hated him. The reason was seascapes artist, which Monet considered disgusting. Boudin taught him to understand and love nature.

Water lilies

"Water lilies", painted by the artist in 1916, became one of the most famous paintings by Claude Monet. Now the canvas is in National Museum Western art city ​​of Tokyo.

Beginning in 1905 and until the end of their lives, the main theme of the artists’ paintings was water lilies, or water lilies. The canvas “Water Lilies” became part of a whole series of magnificent water landscapes by the artist. It is noteworthy that Monet painted his paintings from memory, since the time for water lilies to bloom is limited in time. In addition, the artist’s vision deteriorated more and more, and he could not work at the same speed.

This is interesting: one of the most expensive paintings The artist's Water Lily Pond, painted in 1919, was sold at Christie's in 2008 for $80 million.

Impression. Sunrise

The most famous paintings by Claude Monet include "Impression. Sunrise"- the famous painting that gave its name to impressionism. The painting depicts morning in the port of Le Havre. In the foggy dawn, the boats in the harbor are barely visible. The bright orange sun rising over the port goes against the overall gloomy mood of the picture. The first viewers did not appreciate the artist’s painting and considered it an unfinished work.

This is interesting: After undergoing eye surgery, the artist began to see new colors. This was due to a replacement lens in the left eye. His paintings have changed - new ones have appeared on them, unusual colors.

Lady with an umbrella

"Lady with an Umbrella", painted in 1886, is another of Claude Monet’s most famous paintings. It depicts Camille Doncier, the artist's first wife, and their eldest son Jean. A woman holding an umbrella in her hand seems to feel someone's gaze on her. The picture belongs to early period Monet's creativity - this is evident from the fact that he was more focused on the rendering of color and light, and paid less attention to the clarity of lines.

This is interesting: the artist’s paintings have more than once become the object of attention of criminals. In 2012, among the paintings stolen from the Rotterdam museum was Monet’s “Waterloo Bridge.” According to law enforcement agencies, all the stolen paintings were burned by the criminals.

Mannport

In the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art there is one of best paintings Claude Monet "Mannport", written in 1883. It depicts the majestic chalk cliffs on the Normandy coast, near Etretat. The artist came here for three years in a row and created about 60 paintings.

This is interesting: the artist’s first known painting was a portrait of his future wife Camille Doncier.

Water lilies

"Water lilies", created in 1905, became one of Monet's most expensive and famous paintings. In 1915, the work of the great impressionist was sold for 54 million dollars. Before its purchase by an unknown collector, the painting had not been exhibited for more than 70 years, as it was in a private collection.

This is interesting: a new movement in art, impressionism, got its name thanks to Claude Monet’s painting “Impression. Rising Sun". It is noteworthy that the artist came up with the name for the work in last moment, preparing a painting for the first Impressionist exhibition.

Lady with umbrella facing left

Painting painted in 1866 "Lady with an Umbrella Turning Left" is among the most famous paintings Claude Monet. The painting depicts the artist's adopted daughter Suzanne. The canvas is distinguished by its energetic brushwork, and the woman depicted on it has a spectacular pose.

This is interesting: Most of Monet's paintings depict his wife and model Camille Doncier. She died at the age of 32, presumably due to tuberculosis.

Women in the garden

One of the most famous works Claude Monet – painting "Women in the Garden", written in 1866. The canvas is distinguished by its large sizes, and the artist had to work with him by digging a hole in the garden and lowering the canvas into it. It is noteworthy that the only model for the four women depicted in the painting was Camille, Monet’s future wife.

This is interesting: Monet is one of the three most dear artists in the world.

Claude Monet 1840-1926 One of the founders and leading artists of the Impressionist period. Biography and paintings.

Already at the age of 16, Claude Monet decided that real art was born in the open air, rejecting classical principles. His life was rich in events - he loved and suffered, overcame misunderstandings and swam on the waves of success. He left behind a rich legacy, having tried many subjects so that at the end of his life he could endlessly display water lilies from his favorite pond on canvas.

Never before this moment art I have not seen a more subtle and courageous creator, who carefully looked at nature, which allowed him to create whole line paintings so sensual and honest in their beauty that it was a kind of revelation for subsequent generations who chose impressionism as their guiding star.

Movement to success, the road of impressionism.

Claude Monet ended up in Paris at the age of 19. In the capital, he first studied at the Suisse Academy, and then continued his education in the workshop of Charles Gleyre. It is not so important how strong the influence of this artist, popular at that time, on the technical and stylistic development young Monet, but the fact that he gathered people around him is more than remarkable - this is a fact. In the workshop, Claude Monet met Sisley, Renoir, Basile, with whom he would forge a new style in art soon.

In 1863, a huge scandal broke out in connection with the ultra-bold and frank painting “Luncheon on the Grass” by Edouard Manet. Claude, inspired by this work, decided to write his own version. “Lunch on the Grass” by Claude Monet clearly demonstrates the search for the style of the young master - the rejection of the contour, the neglect of line by modeling forms with the help of color spots, experiments in the transfer of natural light on the canvas. For the multi-figure composition, the master used only two natures - all the ladies were painted from his beloved Camilla, and the men from his friend Basil. It is noteworthy that in this work Monet depicted several characters with their backs to the viewer, thereby destroying one of the main canons classical painting— such an image was previously unacceptable.

But young Monet moved his own way, tasting colors, subjects, plasticity and composition. The work “Women in the Garden” is distinguished by the same innovation, the model of which was also the beloved Camilla, “multiplied” four times on the canvas.

Monet's early works are overwhelmingly dedicated to Camille. “Lady in the Garden”, “Woman in a Green Dress” - on all these canvases the viewer will see Camilla, and last work brought Claude fame. Subsequently, Monet would have another favorite sitter - his son Jean.

Working on style.

The 60s were marked by a difficult financial situation for Monet. There is evidence that the painter even thought about suicide. However, this desperate step Claude was saved by work - Renoir came to his estate in Bougival and his friends worked a lot on location, honing their skills, while searching for new means of expression. The main goal of their search was the moment - the artists sought to capture the moment, to capture the same landscape in different time periods, proving to the world that a single moment is not similar to the previous or subsequent one, it is unique and beautiful with its inimitable beauty.

Monet began to practice new technology applying colors to the canvas - he does not mix colors on the palette, as artists of past years did, preferring to apply pure colors, allowing the viewer's eye to mix the colors independently, looking at the finished work.
In 1872, Claude Monet created the legendary painting “Impression. Sunrise". Its uniqueness is not only in technology and color scheme, but also in the fact that this painting gave its name to a whole movement. From this moment on, the whole world will know that if the canvas is dominated by small strokes of local colors, there is no line, and the space is filled with light - this is impressionism, from French “impression”.
The legendary work was the start of the artist’s success; it would be followed by his best works - “Field of Poppies at Argenteuil”, “Boulevard des Capucines”, “Gare Saint-Lazare”, etc. The work brought satisfaction, although the public did not always greet the master’s paintings with enthusiasm.

The year 1879 gave Monet another reason to capture the passing moment - his beloved Camilla was dying, and with some painful attentiveness the artist painted her face, losing color.

Recognition and peace.

Having lost his beloved woman, Monet finally gains recognition - critics write laudatory reviews, the public sympathizes with his works, and financial situation improves significantly.

Monet begins to paint cycles - a series of works dedicated to the same subject, executed in different surroundings, differing in time characteristics: the artist paints a landscape in different time year or day, or weather conditions. Examples of such works are the series “Rouen Cathedral”, “Poplars on the Epte”, “Poplars”, “Houses of Parliament in London”, etc.

In 1892, Monet married for the second time and traveled a lot, enriching his gallery with delightful seascapes.

And at the end of his life, the master comes to Givarny, where he creates a garden with a pond and a bridge, considering all this natural splendor his own best work art. Drawing inspiration from his garden, the master created more than one series of paintings, his favorite of which was the one dedicated to water lilies.

The ending of Monet's life cannot be called happy - his second wife passed away, and then his son Jean, the artist was overcome by cataracts, which led to actual blindness. However, just as Beethoven, who became deaf, did not stop composing, so Monet did not throw away his brushes, continuing to paint until his death in his beloved Givarny. In December 1926, Monet died. Having finished his life, he had just begun his artistic century - his paintings became the inspiration for many artists, both those who were direct followers of impressionism, and those for whom he became Starting point, giving rise to many new stylistic “isms”.

Claude Monet - national pride France, born in Paris in 1840, November 14. The artist died on his estate, the village of Giverny, in 1926 (December 5). One of the founders of a new direction in painting - impressionism, he influenced the development of artists all over the world. We will describe some of Monet's paintings in this article.

Stages of creativity

In Paris, the artist enters the Imperial School fine arts, but quickly leaves her, as routine reigns in her. Monet's paintings are natural and show the play of light. In 1865 - 1870 he painted the canvases “Woman in a Green Dress”, “Women in the Garden”, “Breakfast on the Grass”, “Port of Trouville”. But these paintings by Monet are not successful at exhibitions and sell poorly.

"Impression. Sunrise"

In 1872, the artist created an iconic painting, which is now located in Marmontant-Mont in Paris. It was written in the port of Le Havre and gave the name to the movement lʹimpressionnism, which would later be accepted by critics and the public. In the meantime, Monet's paintings are ridiculed by critics. The public willingly buys them at very low prices.

Description of the painting by Monet

A photograph of the artist’s painting can be examined in detail in this article. A grayish-bluish fog covers the entire canvas. In the foreground, the silhouettes of fishermen’s boats are still quite clearly visible, and in the background, cranes at the pier, sailing ships, and smoke coming from the chimneys are barely visible. The sea and sky are made in bluish-greenish, soft colors. There is no contrasting transition between the horizon line and the sea. A small orange disk of the sun emerges from the fog. Its light reflects on the clouds and runs along the water as a path.

1877, series of paintings of the Saint-Lazare station

The artist painted 12 paintings in this series in different weather conditions and from different viewing angles. By this time, working tirelessly and hard, Claude Monet was creating new canvases. Paintings with titles: “Jean Monet on a horse”, “Bridge at Argenteuil”, “Walk”. Subsequently, “Hacks” and “Water Lilies” will be written in series.

"Gare Saint-Lazare" (1877)

This is the third picture in the series. It is located at the Art Institute of Chicago. To paint the entire series, the artist set up a workshop for himself right at the station. Monet was inspired by being a witness to the Industrial Revolution. He was interested in both the building itself, consisting of metal structures and glass, and the locomotives releasing steam and the passengers rushing towards them. The bluish-greenish color suggests that the sky is overcast and the rays of the sun are not visible. The powerful outlines of a steam locomotive standing in the distance, ready to depart, perfectly convey the spirit of modernity.

Passion for Japanese art

Prints brought from Japan began to spread throughout Paris. Their unusual technique, Hokusai’s compositional solutions in the “Views of Mount Fuji” series left their mark on Monet’s “Stacks” series. These Monet paintings of differently positioned haystacks, illuminated in the morning, afternoon and evening, clearly follow the contours of Mount Fuji. From a slightly different perspective, the artist’s wife, Camilla, became interested in this art.

Portrait of Madame Monet

Claude Monet painted exclusively en plein air. This is one of the rare pieces created indoors for decorative and commercial purposes (for sale). Attention focuses on a woman in a blonde wig and a scarlet kimono, which attracts attention not only bright color, but also with gold embroidered ornaments. Particularly good is the carefully depicted samurai in a blue kimono with swords. The static nature of the model’s pose is balanced by the dynamics of the fans attached to the wall and scattered on the floor. They are also pierced by oriental themes: storks, portraits of Japanese women, fish.

Last years

Monet still paints in series. You can name “Poplars”, “Cathedrals of Rouen”, “Thames in London”, “Water Lilies”. After 1900, we see a universally recognized meter that no longer has material concerns. Exhibitions bring success and money. He buys a small piece of land in Normandy. His estate is called Givenchy. In it he arranges a pond and breeds water lilies. But after eye surgery, because he had cataracts, the artist begins to see everything in lilac-bluish tones.

We invite you to look at one of latest works Monet with nymphs. The change in color did not affect the lovely watery landscape. The water lilies are not white, but bluish, with pinkish tints, and the water is a rich purple color.

The middle-aged artist was very keen on growing plants in his garden and loved to take walks around it. By the end of his life, the universally revered painter, who revolutionized classical art, could afford to work and relax as he pleased.

Oscar Claude Monet was born in Paris on November 14, 1840, but at the age of 5 he moved to Le Havre, where his father worked as a grocer and ship supplier. Monet's talent first appeared in adolescence. It all started with caricatures of prominent residents of Le Havre. Prominent townspeople liked their own humorous portraits. The drawings were sold at a local art salon for 20 francs each.

Paintings were sold in the same salon local artist Eugene Boudin. He was a passionate lover of plein air, which was unusual in those days. The young man also became interested in working under open air. He began painting en plein air because it gave his works a sense of immediacy, and he was interested in natural light.

The number of orders increased, and soon Monet began to earn so much money that he came up with the idea of ​​becoming a real landscape artist, one who would have the skill and talent to capture the iridescent, changing views around him.
However, serious difficulties had to be overcome first. The path to success in the art world ran through an exhibition of works in the famous Parisian salon - the most prestigious art exhibition in the world. Everything was controlled by the Academy of Painting and Culture, founded in 1795 by a group of Freemasons. To get there, you had to pass an exam, which was assessed by academy professors. These same people selected works for the Paris salon. Having achieved success in the salon, the artist, on the recommendation of academicians, received a prestigious state order. After completing several serious orders, a person became a member of the academy and received the right to teach. Thus the old process was repeated. The Impressionists opposed this. In Paris there are many art studios, whose goal is to get rid of salon dominance. In 1873 they opened their alternative exhibition.

"Impression. Sunrise" 1873

The painting depicts a foggy sunrise in the harbour. Against the background of clouds in a dense haze there is a bright orange sun, the boats do not have clear outlines.

The spectators, however, were unable to understand either the performance technique or the chosen range of colors. The picture was regarded not as revolutionary, but as ridiculous. Viewers wondered why the author exhibited an unfinished work. The critic Louis Leroy used the word "impressionists" in a pejorative sense. So he unintentionally gave the name to the whole direction. By the time of the eighth exhibition in 1886, the term had become generally accepted.

"Bridge at Argenteuil" 1874

The painting “Bridge at Argenteuil” dates back to 1974. It depicts one of the suburbs of Paris, where Monet lived for a short time. Suburban living developed not only because of the high cost of living in the city, but also because of the culture of the time. People came here to escape the tension and bustle of Paris to unwind. This picture shows how exciting this place was. Monet painted on outdoors, in the open air. This is the pinnacle of the development of impressionism. The artist does not seek to show a specific vessel. The color of the picture is very rich. The artist uses colors that are difficult to see in academic landscapes; they are usually muted and mixed. Here the colors are light, bright and match in the foreground and background. This smoothing technique looked quite radical in the 1870s. Free, seemingly careless brush strokes reveal the similarity of the painting with a sketch and give it a certain incompleteness.

Gare Saint-Lazare 1877

The composition of the painting is not too different from the landscapes in traditional style. The image is extremely flat, focusing on the surface and the paint. The locomotive enters the station through huge iron structures. The steam above him envelops the locomotive, this iron mask, and this is what Monet is all about, his desire to concentrate on the play of light and color.
Monet, unlike academic artists, does not think about creating a certain angle, a line of perspective, or about conveying the integrity of the subject. The objects do not have clear outlines, the models are almost abstract.

"Walk to the Cliff at Pourville" 1882

The action takes place on seaside resort in northwestern France. Two women walk in nature. The artist gives a sense of spontaneity that is felt in the brush strokes. Through the image of a cliff, he conveys the mood of a magnificent day. The cliff is in deep shadow, which creates a sharp contrast. The painting seems spontaneous, but it was carefully thought out and planned. The painting consists of several layers of paint. Monet applies new layers of paint to the previous ones that have not yet dried.
The characters in the film enjoy a refreshing walk along the cliffs. It opens before them picturesque landscape: cliffs, sea, sky with floating clouds. This picture shows modern world through the eyes of a person belonging to the middle layer, who captured a period of free time.

Cycle "Rouen Cathedral" 1890s.

The structure is located an hour north of Paris. Monet painted 30 paintings with his image. From late winter to early spring for two years in 1892 and 1893, Monet rented a studio located directly opposite the cathedral and was able to convey various light effects. He painted several paintings at once and in each he conveyed different moments depending on the time of day and lighting. The artist returned to the canvases he began in new weather. Upon returning to Paris, he completed the paintings in his studio. They are massive, there are thick layers of paint on them, Monet took a long time to paint them. He was always interested in capturing the moment, but in these works it becomes the main theme. The medieval cathedral had a religious historical meaning. His image is characterized by massiveness and strength, but in Monet’s version these are filigree forms, there is no feeling of heavy three-dimensionality.

Claude Monet is one of the famous and popular artists in the history of world art. This painter is the founder and a prominent representative a new direction at the beginning of the 20th century - impressionism. Today everyone educated person and the lover of painting is close and understandable to Monet’s paintings, with the names of which and their brief description we have to meet.

Born in Paris in 1840, Claude Monet moved to Normandy 5 years later. Since childhood, the young man showed a passion for drawing, but chose the genre of caricature.

At the age of 17, Monet met Eugene Boudin, who taught him art landscape sketches. Before meeting him, Claude Monet did not consider drawing from life or seascapes worthwhile and even treated them with contempt. 1859 – year of return young artist home, to Paris. There he continued to paint in the workshop of poor artists.

The turning point in the fate and work of Monet is considered to be his admission to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Paris. There he met O. Renoir, A. Sisley and F. Basil - talented young artists, with whom he was destined to change the history of world painting.

How did the “Impressionism” movement appear?

Claude Monet is gradually trying to change the traditional way of drawing from life, using either new lighting solutions, or changing the viewing angle and position of the artist when painting. Preferring plein air to studio work, he seeks beauty in the world around him, trying to capture the moment and his perception of what he sees.

One of the main differences between emerging impressionism is new job with shadow and color. Monet chose the coloristic content of the paintings that he sees and feels at a certain point in time. Painting shadows light, and not black, like his predecessors, he filled his canvases with inner light.

Constant poverty and need in the 70s and 80s and the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War forced him to move to England. Here Monet meets the dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, who buys his paintings. This made it possible to purchase a small house in Argenteuil upon returning home.

The official starting point of the “Impressionism” movement is considered to be 1874, when with a light hand one of the critics dubbed the picture “impression, impression” - impressionnisme. In 1883, Claude Monet moved with his family to Giverny, where with the money he had saved, he could already afford to buy a house with land and a garden. In the same small village he was destined to end his earthly journey in 1926.

Monet had vision problems from a young age, and in 1912 he even had the lens of one eye removed. It is believed that this disease contributed to the artist's natural talent for seeing and reflecting unusual colors and shades in nature.

Monet's popularity today cannot be overestimated: to this day he is one of the three most expensive artists in the world.

1. One of the most famous and early works Claude Monet's painting "Women in the Garden", created in 1866. To paint it, he dug a trench in order to better choose the angle, set up the easel correctly and stand up himself. The plot of the picture is simple: four young ladies are walking through summer garden, picking flowers and having a nice conversation. One of them, the young model Camille Doncier, later became Monet’s wife.
2. 1866 was also the time when the painting “Lady with an Umbrella Turning to the Left” was painted. The subject of the image was a young girl, Monet's adopted daughter Suzanne. The artist looks at the model from bottom to top, capturing, in addition to the girl’s figure, grass and flowers close-up and a big piece of sky. One of the main characters of the picture is the wind, which controls the movement of objects, creating a feeling of energy and movement of the plot.

   

3. The painting “Water Lilies” from 1905, after its purchase by an unknown art lover, was hidden from prying eyes for more than 70 years. It depicts a pond, lilies in it and clouds reflected in the surface of the water. It is believed that the artist copied this plot from a pond in Giverny. This painting was destined to become the most expensive at London auction: it was valued at $54 million.
4. Mannport (1883) is now in New York, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The subject of this painting is the cliffs of Normandy. Monet often traveled to this country, creating more than 60 paintings about its powerful and harsh nature.
   
5. The painting "Lady with an Umbrella" (1886) depicts Monet's wife Camille Doncier. The canvas belongs to the early period of creativity: the lines are blurry and imprecise, the main emphasis is on the colors and sensations of the artist himself.
6. The famous painting that gave its name to the entire movement of “impressionism” - “Impression. Sunrise” rarely leaves anyone indifferent. Port of Le Havre, early morning, boats on the surface of the water, barely visible in the morning fog, gloomy and dark colors with a contrasting background bright sun– the painting was created to revolutionize the idea of ​​the technique and purpose of painting. However, the first viewers reacted coolly to the innovation and did not appreciate it hidden power and prospects.

   

7. Interesting, from the point of view of creating a plot, is the painting “Breakfast on the Grass” from 1866. The style of the canvas itself is not characteristic of Monet’s impressionistic style of painting. This is a picture of transition, of finding oneself. The ideological inspirer became Edouard Manet (do not confuse these various works art), who created a painting of the same name several years earlier. It caused a strong reaction and scandal because of the realistic depictions of naked women. Claude Monet was delighted with this painting. He decided to repeat the success of this painting and shock the audience. On this moment what we see in the picture is one of three parts of a huge canvas, which remained unfinished, although it was exhibited at the Paris Salon.
8. “Water Lilies” of 1916 is a continuation of the theme of water and water lines in Monet’s work and part of a series of water landscapes. It's interesting compositional solution: the plot seems to have been snatched from a huge, endless picture. The artist cut large central flowers to show the infinity of natural space. Thanks to bright colors And unusual composition A seemingly ordinary pond fascinates the viewer.
   
9. “Terrace at Sainte-Adresse” is one of the artist’s early creations, created in 1867. The painting depicts summer terrace with men sitting in armchairs and a girl standing at the railing with her companion. Strict lines, lack of blur and compositional solutions are not characteristic of the impressionist style.

   

10. “Field of poppies near Argenteuil” 1873. The heroes of the picture are the artist’s son and wife. They make their way through tall grass and bright red poppies. In the background, two more figures are visible, as well as a small White House in the distance.

Art historians have come to the conclusion that last years In his life, the artist goes beyond impressionism, anticipating further changes in painting and outlining prospects. Having entered the history of world painting and having gained many supporters and followers, Monet’s paintings, the names and brief descriptions of which we have read, remain not only in the memory of viewers, but also in their hearts, causing real ones and a certain longing for the passing and momentary beauty of this world.