France’s Most Beloved Impressionist
Maison de Claude Monet in Giverny gives visitors an inside look at his intimate life. Claude Monet was a French painter famous for leading the Impressionist movement. Initially criticized for his paintings because of Japanese influence, Monet began the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers as an independent artist with other Impressionists in 1874.
Later in his life, Monet bought a house in Giverny and studied the French countryside for over forty years. While in Giverny, he began a landscaping project primarily focused on a flower garden and water lily pond.
Doing so led him to develop a series of scenes countless times to showcase lighting and the passing of seasons. His works consisted of using vivid colors and have stated he painted as “how he saw the world.”
Today, tourists visit Claude Monet’s house in Giverny to look inside at his intimate life. Now, you too will get a peak at La Maison de Claude Monet in Giverny.
A photograph of Oscar Claude Monet in his studies smoking a cigar surrounded by his paintings.
“Je suis dans le ravissement. Giverny est un pays splendide pour moi.” – Claude Monet
“I am in raptures; Giverny is a splendid place for me.” – Claude Monet
Impressionism
A term coined by the critic Louis Leroy in 1874, owes its name to the famous painting by Monet, Impression, Sunrise. The critic utilized a mocking tone in the satirical magazine Le Charivari, expressing a widely held belief about this style of painting, which flouted the accepted artistic rules of the day.
The painters had a clear agenda: to transcribe, en plein air wherever possible, the sensation – or impression – experienced by an artist face to face with a subject. Luminous tones are used; colors are applied to a light background and often mixed directly on the canvas. Brushstrokes are left visible, in the manner of a sketch.
Ile-de-France scenes were at the very core of the work of most Impressionist artists working in the landscape genre of the 1870s, which had long been considered inferior.
(1) Impression, Sunrise (2) Water Lilies (3) The Japanese Footbridge (4) San Giorgio Maggiore (5) Woman in the Garden
Rue Montorgueil by Claude Monet
Life in Maison de Claude Monet
Giverny is a small and quiet town a little bit more than an hour away from Paris in the countryside. Far from the city, residents and tourists alike get to enjoy the silence of nature and the landscaping at Maison de Claude Monet.
Claude rented the house before saving enough money to purchase it. Little by little, Monet expanded the property after selling more paintings to create his garden and thus building his dream house.
Easily one of the most noteworthy aspects of the home is the garden. There’s a gorgeous entryway filled with a variety of flowers organized from head to toe. Claude himself led the project along with eight gardeners.
Claude married Camille-Léonie Doncieux with whom he had two children. After being widowed he fell in love with Alice Raingo Hoschedé Monet who was also a widow and had six children of her own.
They both decided to move in together without being married and this caused a scandal around town. Eventually, the two got married and lived in the house with the eight children.
The Water Lilies & Japanese Garden
I had a nice stroll through the garden. I visited Giverny after Europe’s strongest heatwave. It began to drizzle on this particular day just as in Monet’s paintings. I saw the lilies while raindrops fell upon the surface of the water. I experienced what Monet enjoyed, day in and day out. One begins to understand why Claude would choose such a place to live out the rest of his days gardening and painting.
Claude must’ve felt at peace living in such an isolated place away from the city of Paris. Any artist will feel the same serenity by visiting. I hope you get a little rain as I did!
Closing Thoughts
I had a great time visiting Maison de Claude Monet in Giverny. It was a delightfully short trip to a tranquil and quaint area surrounded by flowers. The main attraction is the Maison and the water lily pond. The cafes and small boutiques add to the charm of the village.
There’s a decent amount of people looking after the home and garden. It’s nice to see how well it’s been taken care of. The rooms are preserved to look exactly how Monet lived years ago.
His house is filled with Japanese prints covering up the walls almost in every room. Going to Claude Monet’s home left a clear impression that he admired the Japanese as I do.
Monet was one of the lucky artists of his time that despise criticism, he lived to see the fruits of his labors. His decision to become an independent artist played an important role in challenging the norm and paving way for other artists to do the same.
Previously, the only way to find success and sell your paintings was to exhibit your works at the official academy in Paris. Being accepted by the academy was not only a status symbol but garnered admiration from your peers and exposure to a wider audience.
After learning about the life of Claude Monet maybe I’ll sit outside and paint flowers in my garden during the rain too.
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