Step by Step
1
Naming the movement
Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise (1872) inadvertently gave the entire Impressionist movement its name, originally coined as a critic's insult.
2
Serial painting
Monet pioneered the practice of painting the same subject repeatedly at different times of day and under different lighting conditions — producing 25 paintings of haystacks, 30 of Rouen Cathedral, and a series depicting poplar trees.
3
Giverny and Water Lilies
Monet designed his own garden at Giverny — including a Japanese bridge, a water garden, and weeping willows — specifically to serve as subject matter for his art. His Water Lilies series eventually totaled 250 paintings, culminating in large-scale panels displayed at the Orangerie in Paris, spanning 8 panels arranged in immersive oval rooms.
4
Late career and legacy
Cataracts affected Monet's eyesight later in life, making his late work increasingly abstract and dominated by orange tones. His work significantly influenced Abstract Expressionist artists like Pollock and de Kooning, who saw his Orangerie panels in Paris. Monet was committed to en plein air painting — working outdoors directly from observation, rather than from preliminary sketches.
Applied Walkthrough
1
When Monet exhibited Impression, Sunrise in 1872, a critic mockingly derived the term "Impressionism" from its title — inadvertently naming the entire movement Monet had helped found.
2
Monet became known for painting the same subject repeatedly under different lighting conditions — 25 versions of haystacks, 30 of Rouen Cathedral — a serial approach that let him study how light itself transforms a scene over time.
3
At his self-designed garden in Giverny, complete with a Japanese bridge and water garden built specifically as subject matter, Monet eventually produced 250 Water Lilies paintings, culminating in massive, immersive panels now displayed at the Orangerie in Paris.
4
As cataracts affected his eyesight later in life, Monet's work grew increasingly abstract and orange-toned — a late style that would go on to significantly influence Abstract Expressionist painters like Pollock and de Kooning, who encountered his Orangerie panels firsthand in Paris.
Exam Application
Exams test whether you know the origin of the term "Impressionism" via Monet's painting, whether you understand his serial painting approach and its purpose, and whether you know his later influence on Abstract Expressionism.
⚠ Common Trap
The most common trap is assuming Monet's late, increasingly abstract work resulted from a deliberate stylistic shift — it was actually significantly influenced by his worsening cataracts, which affected his color perception and detail vision, contributing to the more abstract, orange-dominant quality of his final works.
✓ Quick Self-Check
1. What painting gave Impressionism its name, and how?
Impression, Sunrise (1872) — a critic derived the movement's name from its title as an insult.
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2. What is serial painting, and give an example Monet used it for.
Painting the same subject repeatedly under different lighting conditions; examples include haystacks (25 paintings) and Rouen Cathedral (30 paintings).
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3. What did Monet build at Giverny, and why?
His own garden, including a Japanese bridge and water garden, specifically to serve as subject matter for his art.
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4. What medical condition affected Monet's late work, and how?
Cataracts, making his late work increasingly abstract and orange-dominant.
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5. What later artistic movement did Monet's work influence?
Abstract Expressionism (Pollock, de Kooning).
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