CLAUDE OSCAR MONET,

THE WATERLILIES

Claude Oscar Monet (Paris, 14th November 1840 – Giverny 5th December 1926) was a French painter and he is considered the father of Impressionism.

When he was fifteen Claude began drawing  in pencil and he sold a lot of drawings in Giverny. He attended the “Le Havre”  School in France and in 1856 he met the painter Eugeine Boudin, his first teacher. Boudin influenced Monet  in drawing nature and landscapes. He studied and he loved nature which became his only source of inspiration.

In 1871 he established in Argenteuil, near Paris, in a house with garden.  “The Waterlilies” are a collection of 250 paintings that describe his garden in Giverny. He painted this collection between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

In the foreground there is a bridge and the waterlilies; in the background there are plants and trees. In this painting there isn’t the sky, there aren’t any human beings nor animals. This collection is a diary of his old age; for him the waterlilies symbolize peace, infinity and wonder in front of the beauties of nature.

A painting of this collection by Claude Monet was sold in a Sotheby’s auction in London for over 31 million pounds.

I chose this painting because I really like waterlilies and nature. When I watch “The Waterlilies”, I feel quiet and peaceful. I like the colors that Monet used and I feel like I am there when I watch this picture.

Iside Moschella

3 A AGRI