Claude Monet

Monet is recognized as one of the creators of Impressionism, the leader of the movement, the most convinced and the most consistent of its members. He first excelled as a caricaturist, then at 18 years old met his mentor: the painter Eugène Boudin, who encouraged him to paint outdoors. The critics greeted his debut at the 1865 Salon, but the following World's Fairs and exhibitions systematically refused his works. In 1890, he bought his house in Giverny where he would spend nearly forty-three years, producing some of his most famous works and the famous Water Lilies series. He gradually lost his sight, but never stopped painting.