Claude Monet - A collection of 1540 paintings Claude Monet : A collection of 1540 paintings ( HD ) Description : " Claude Oscar Monet was born in Paris on November 14 , 1840 . Soon after , his family moved to Le Havre , where he spent his youth . His acquaintance with Eugène Boudin lead to Monet seriously pursueing his education as a painter in 1858 . Boudin and Jongkind taught Monet to always work in the field in front of his motif . The following year Monet went to Paris anyway to begin academic training . He joined the " Akademie Suisse " and joined his later fellow painters from the Impressionist group , especially when painting together " en plen air " in the forest of Fontainebleau . Their constant struggle was to have their pictures exhibited at the official " Salon de Paris ", where the conservative jury mostly declined their paintings . Because of the lack of acceptance of his artwork , Claude Monet and his small family had to live in dire poverty for many years . In 1879 his first wife Camille , with whom he had two children , died . Monet ' s art had meanwhile developed from withdrawn color paintings to form an independent Impressionist style . With his famous painting " Impression : soleil levant ", Claude Monet named one of the most important genres of Avant - garde art . Some art lovers , especially the art dealer Durand - Ruel , supported him financially . Very gradually , a market developed for his pictures . In 1883 Claude Monet managed to earn enough money to move to Giverny , west of Paris , where he managed to buy the house he had been renting in 1890 . He now had a place to return to after his frequent travels and the garden of his property , which he later managed to extend , provided constant inspiration for his work at home . In 1891 Monet painted the first of his famous series : the " meules " ( haystacks ) were followed by pictures of poplars and the river Seine , the cathedral of Rouen , the river Thames in London and many more . His exhibitions were great successes and Monet became a celebrated artist . In 1892 he married Alice Hoschedé , who brought more children into the family . From the turn of the century , the water lilies on the specially designed pond in Giverny and the picturesque wooden bridge in Japanese style became Monet ' s favorite motifs . In 1911 Alice died . In 1916 , at the age of 76 , Monet started his largest project : the creation of the famous wall decoration depicting the pond with the water lillies ( now in Paris ) . In the 1920 s his eyesight deteriorated and he had to have surgery , but he still did his utmost to continue painting . Shortly before his death on December 5 , 1926 Claude Monet finished his water lilly paintings . Today Claude Monet is regarded as the most well known Impressionist artist . His late work is increasingly considered to be the precursor for the abstraction of the 20 th century . "