Claude Monet

Oscar-Claude Monet, a pioneer of Impressionism, was born on November 14, 1840, in Paris. His encounter with Eugène Boudin in his youth was decisive, as Boudin introduced him to plein air painting, a practice that captures outdoor scenes emphasizing light and color, which became a cornerstone of Impressionism. Monet explored this approach throughout his career, with special dedication to his series on the gardens of Giverny, where he experimented with light effects and reflections in the water. His work "Impression, Sunrise" (1872) gave the Impressionist movement its name, noted for its depiction of dawn light in the port of Le Havre.
The influence of the English painter J. M. W. Turner (William Turner) was notable, especially in his mastery of painting light, which deeply inspired Claude. In turn, the great Parisian artist influenced later movements like Neo-Impressionism and had an impact on painters such as Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne. Among his closest contemporaries and friends were Camille Pissarro and Auguste Renoir, with whom he shared ideas and explored new pictorial techniques.