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Monet was born in Paris in 1840 but spent his childhood in Le Havre where his father was a merchant. It was there he met , a local artist who encouraged him to paint landscapes.

In 1859, Monet went to Paris to study at the Académie Suisse where he became close friends with a fellow student . After serving two years as a conscript in Algeria, Monet returned to Paris and was introduced to some of the major artists of the era including , , Ìý²¹²Ô»å .

Monet married Camille Doncieux in 1870. The family moved to London to escape the Franco-Prussian war and after their return to France in 1871 they settled at , a boating centre on the Seine  hich drew many other Impressionist painters. Working outdoors from nature was a particular hallmark of the movement and one that Monet embraced. His paintings reflect the ever-changing impact of light and weather conditions.

In 1872, he painted ''. When this painting was exhibited in 1874, a critic took this title and scathingly labelled the whole movement ‘Impressionism’ - the name stuck. This exhibition is now known as the First Impressionist Exhibition. 

During the 1880s Monet travelled through France painting a variety of landscapes, eventually settling at his home in Giverny, north-west of Paris. It was here that Monet created some of his best known works including a series of pictures of ‘Haystacks’ and ‘’.

Monet died at Giverny on 5 December 1926.