-
The Birth of a Painter
On November 14, 1840, Louise-Adolphe Aubree, gave birth to a son - Claude-Oscar Monet. He was born and lived in Paris, France, until age five, when his family moved to Le Hevre, France. He was commonly called Oscar by his family and friends. Monet's father, Claude-Adolphe, was a grocer and former sailor. Monet held great promise and displayed a passion for art from the time he was a young boy. By the time Claude-Oscar turned fifteen, he was known locally for his artistic talents (Gregory 76). -
*Irish Immigration*
In 1845, Ireland suffered from the destruction of its potato crop. The "Aran Banner" — the type of potato grown by peasants to produce the largest crop — was prone to develop Phytophthora infestans, or blight. The potatoes that developed this fungus were devastated. Many Irish suffered the loss of jobs and experienced starvation and death. Many people moved to towns and cities, which resulted in an outbreak of typhoid fever, cholera, and dysentary. -
*Continued*
The combination of starvation and disease killed an estimated 1 million people between1845-1848. Also, a signifcant number of Irish emigrated to North America and Britain to escape the famine, unemployment and sickness (Bloy). -
*Discovery of Gold in California*
James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in January 1848 while he was assembling a saw mill in the Sacramento Valley. In March, Marshall's discovery was documeted in newspapers but received little publicity because most people doubted the discovery. In May 1848, Sam Brannam announced another discovery of gold, which sparked a huge uproar. People began swarming the Sacramento Valley, feverish with the prospect of becoming rich (California). -
*Continued*
The Gold Rush was a significant event in the United States' history because it raised the population of non-native people in California to 100,000, and also produced two billion dollars in gold (Gold). -
Drawing Inspiration from a Professional
Monet began exhibiting his artwork at a picture framer's shop near his home. Coincidentally, a famous lanscape painter, Eugene Boudin, also displayed his work at the same shop. Boudin began to help Monet with his art and strongly advised Monet to paint outdoors (Gregory 76). At this time, Monet was known for his caricature drawings created out of charcoal, but Boudin believed Monet held more promise. -
Continued
Boudin convinced Monet to travel with him to Honfleur, France, and there they painted together outdoors. Monet was awed by his experience painting outdoors, and Buodin's inspiration helped fuel Monet's passion for painting (Stamberg). -
*The Emancipation Proclamation*
Written on January 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation declared that all slaves in rebellious states were free. However, there were many restrictions regarding the freedom of the slaves. The proclamation only applied to the 10 Confederate states in rebellion, and it did not outlaw slavery. It diid not apply to border states. The proclamation was significant because it allowed for the admission of black men into the Union Army and Navy. -
First Impressionist Exhibition
In 1874, Monet and fellow painters Cezanne, Degas, and Renoir held the first Impressionist exhibition. At the exhibit, Monet displayed his painting, "Impression: Sunrise," which depicted the harbor at Le Havre. This exhibit was the first ever display of Impressionist paintings, and although it received negative feedback, it helped pave the way for Monet's career and the careers of other aspiring Impressionists. Seven more Impressionist exhibitions followed this inital exhibition (Gregory 78). -
Camille Monet's Death
Monet's wife, Camille, died in 1879. While Camille was sick, Alice Hochede nursed her and aided Monet with caring for the children and paying debts. Alice, however, was also the woman with whom Monet had a sercet affair during Camille's illness. In 1883, Monet and Madame Hochede moved to Giverny with all of their children (Gregory 79). During Monet and Camille's marriage, Camille served as Monet's muse, often appearing in his work (Gedo). -
Continued
Immediately after Camille died, Monet began to paint a portrait of his wife's dead body, capturing the stillness and serenity of his late wife (Gregory 79). -
Exhibition of 1883
Beginning in 1883, Paul Durand-Ruel led an exhibition of Impressionist paintings in Berlin, Boston, London, and Rotterdam. Some of Monet's work was featured in his exhibit. Paul Durand-Ruel was a huge supporter of Impressionism and his exhibition helped contribute to Monet's fame, fortune and reputation (Gregory 80). -
"Statue of Liberty*
On July 4, 1884, the Statue of Liberty was presented to Levi P. Morton, the U.S. minister to France. It was presented in France, and then dissembled and shipped to the United States on the French Navy ship Isere. Edouard de Laboulaye first introduced the idea for the construction of the sculpture, and French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi began the design. It was to be placed on Bedloe's Island, in New York Harbor. -
*Continued*
The statue was a gift to express the strong bond of friendship between France and the United States. It was also built to celebrate the United States' centennial of freedom (Creating). -
*Publication of "The Adventures of Huckleberry FInn"*
In 1884, Mark Twain, a native Mississippian, wrote "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Twain's novel is the account of a young boy named Huck and the adventures he experiences as he travels down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave, Jim. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" caused great controversy due to the close relationship shared by Huck and Jim. -
"The Haystacks"
From 1888-1891, Monet painted over thirty canvases in a series known as the "Haystacks." He observed the varied patterns of light that hit the haystacks at different times of the day. In May of 1891, Monet exhibited fifteen of the paintings at Durand-Ruel's exhibition. American collectors purchased many of his "Haystacks," despite the high prices. This exhibition contributed to Monet's mounting success and also provided him with a good profit (Ward). -
Roeun Cathedral Series
Beginning in 1892, Monet created a series of paintings depicting the facade of the Rouen Catheral. In this series, completed in 1894, Monet showed the drastic changes of light and color on the Rouen Cahthedral. His series included thirty canvases, and twenty of these were later exhbited in May 1895 at his dealer's gallery. Eight paintings were sold to patrons and he recieved high praise for his work from fellow artists. The "Rouen Cathedral" represents one of Monet's most famous series (Portal). -
Purchase of Pond at Giverny
In 1893, Monet bought a piece of land adjoining his property in Giverny, France, that contained a small pond. Monet's purchase of the land inspired the creation of many motifs that he painted in the1890s and 1900s. Monet focused on the precision of each brushstroke and the decorative qualities of his paintings. Monet's proximity to the pond allowed him to expand his landscape portfolio (Lallemand 117). -
"Water Lilies" Collection
In 1906, Monet began to center his artictic talents around waterlillies, and he continued to paint this subject until his death in 1926. In 1914, he built a studio in order to expand his work (Gregory 80-81). Monet experienced two deaths within a short time — the death of Alice in 1911 and the death of his eldest son, Jean, in 1914. After these deaths, and during World War I, Monet lived an isolated life. -
Continued
When people viewed his artwork in 1918, they were surprised to see a new and fresh perspective (Lallemand 140). His waterlily paintings were significant because Monet was asked by the Prime Minister, Georges Clemenceau, to present some of these paintings to France in the form of a decorative scheme. Also, Monet's waterlily paintings are some of his best known artwork (Gregory 81). -
*World War I Begins*
World War I began in 1914 after the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the king's only son, was assassinated by Serbian nationalists on June 28. Austria then declared war on Serbia. Serbia had an alliance with Russia, which formed alliances with the United Kingdom, Italy and France. They were fighting against Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey. The United States entered World War I in 1917 and joined the Russian side (Introduction). -
*Continued*
The United States entered the war because a German submarine blew up the British crew ship, Lusitania. The explosion killed 128 Americans aboard the ship — it was immediately regarded as an act of war (Germans). World War I is significant because it was the first time chemical warfare was used and it also was the first major war in Europe since the Napoleonic Wars (Introduction). -
Death of Claude Monet
On December 5, 1926, Claude Monet died of lung cancer in Giverny, France. He died before he was able to present his decorative scheme to the French nation. Although he was misunderstood during half of his lifetime, by the end of his career, Monet was one of the most celebrated and wealthiest Impressionists. His legend would live on and inspire fututre artists for years to come (Gregory 75-77).
