MONET, Claude
1840-1926

The most consistently explorative and prolific of the Impressionists, Monet represents the movement and all it stood for perhaps with greater clarity than anyone else. His early years at Le Havre and contacts with Boudin and Jongkind made him a master of the seascape and the influence of Courbet and Manet was also strong. Manet became a firm admirer, painting with Monet at Argenteuil in 1874 and helping him financially. In 1890 Monet organized a public subscription to purchase Olympia for the French nation.