ArtistsNetwork.com 53Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926) is,
without question, one of the most uni-
versally revered artists. The luxurious
color that inhabits his work speaks to
us of the sensuous pleasures of nature,
the promise of escape and the delight-
ful transformative properties of light.
Given his broad and direct appeal, it’s
difficult to imagine just how radical
his work was when he first began—
and to understand the ferocious and
derisive criticism it received.
Far from gaining quick acceptance,
Monet struggled financially for many
years, yet the artist never wavered,The Denver Art Museum shines a light on the career of this
Impressionist artist who changed the world with his art.
by John A. ParksClaude Monet:
The Parc Monceau
by Claude Monet
1878; oil on canvas,
28 ⅝ x21⅜
THE METROPOLITAN
MUSEUM OF ART: THE MR.
AND MRS. HENRY ITTLESON
JR. PURCHASE FUND, 1959
PHOTO CREDIT:
THE METROPOLITAN
MUSEUM OF ARTnever considered taking up an alter-
native occupation; instead, he pur-
sued his ideas through painting,
embracing their consequences as he
forged entirely new notions of what
a painting might do and what a work
of art might be.
This fall, an exhibition at the
Denver Art Museum, “Claude Monet:
The Truth of Nature,” allows us to
track the various stages of the artist’s
long journey, both as a man and
a painter, through fine examples of
most of his motifs—from the early
tonal landscapes to the late water lilies.THE EARLY YEARS
Monet was born in Paris
and grew up in Le Havre, on the
French coast, where his father was in
business as a ship’s chandler. Monet’s
early interest in art was in the form of
caricature and cartoons, which he
exhibited in shop windows as a teen-
ager. He had the good fortune to meet
the painter Eugène Boudin (French,
1824–1898), who lived in the area. It
was Boudin who introduced Monet tothe pleasures of painting outdoors,
an experience that confirmed in the
young man his determination to be
an artist. It wasn’t easy, however, as
Monet’s father wanted him to join the
family business, and his mother, who
encouraged him to paint, died while
the young Monet was still a teenager.
Having managed to get to Paris
to begin studying, Monet found him-
self drafted into the army and serving
for a year in North Africa. Although
most middle-class parents were able
to buy their children out of the army,
Monet’s father refused to do so
unless the boy promised to join his
business. Finally, an aunt paid for his
release with the proviso that he study
art seriously.
Thus, he found himself, more
or less penniless, studying under
Charles Gleyre (Swiss, 1806–1874),
an academic painter who had gath-
ered together an interesting group
of French pupils that included Pierre-
Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), Alfred
Sisley (1839–1899) and Frédéric
Bazille (1841–1870).THE TRUTH OF NATURE