Paintings by Claude Monet can be categorized as surreal, lovely, and extra-realistic with a glimmer of abstraction still present that gives them life.
Because of their depth and the artist’s use of perspective shifts, they were regarded as some of the most famous landscape paintings in the world.
They are mostly landscapes that Monet found during his stay in various countries like France, Algeria, and the Netherlands.
His impressionist paintings are also seen as the key to modernism, painting mesmerizing scenes as he perceived them.
This also added the qualities of abstract art to his paintings, which were exhibited in galleries from all over the world, soaring his popularity amongst the art community.
Because of this, he became one of the most celebrated and famous painters to have ever touched a canvas.
So why not begin this journey across Europe as we follow the artist’s path to success with his vast gardens in Giverny and subjects from his personal life?
19. Bridge Over A Pond Of Lilies
One of the most famous paintings by Claude Monet, Bridge Over The Pond Of Lilies is the surrealist depiction of the scene in the artist’s garden in Giverny.
The painting’s main subject, the bridge, is shown as connecting two sides of his garden and is built over a stream, which is highlighted by the most beautiful gathering of water lilies.
Claude was especially proud of this garden, and the same theme can be seen in multiple of his famous paintings. He had it specially built as a pleasure for the eye and a great motif to paint.
Upon its first unveiling, it received great praise for the contrast that the artist had shown between the bridge and the trees in the background.
This famous painting now hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
18. Jean Monet On His Hobby Horse
Jean Monet, who is the main subject of this famous Claude Monet painting, is the eldest son of the artist.
During the time of this painting, the artist’s financial situation had just begun to improve, and the family had just managed to rent out a house in Argenteuil.
It is here that Claude was seen painting his five-year-old son, Jean, who would pose as a subject for his paintings during their stay here.
This is also said to be one of the most famous Claude Monet paintings because he never actually exhibited it but kept it with him throughout his lifetime.
It is now part of the Claude Monet collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
17. Le Bateau- Atelier
“Le bateau-atelier,” an impressionist style of Claude Monet paintings, literally translates to “The Boat-Workshop.”
It is a painting of an old fishing boat that was bought by Monet and then converted into a floating studio for his paintings.
He painted the boat from a dock on the Seine River’s coast in this painting.
This oil on canvas painting received great attention from critics for its boat’s shimmering reflection, which was beautifully captured by the artist.
Today, the painting belongs to the Barnes Foundation of Philadelphia.
16. Woman With A Parasol
In late 1871, Claude Monet had taken up residence in Argenteuil, and this resulted in one of his most fertile phases in painting.
His time spent in the French countryside inspired him to create this impressionist painting, featuring his wife and son as the main subjects.
“The Woman With A Parasol” is known for the parasol’s backlighting and is regarded as his most well-known and stunning artistic creation.
Even the expression on Mrs. Monet’s face is painted with such vagueness and elegance that the viewer is left enthralled by her eyes.
It is also said to be one of the most peace-evoking Claude Monet paintings; it is found today at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
15. Haystacks
Haystacks is one of the brightest and most notable Claude Monet paintings and were painted in the city of Giverny in the year 1890.
During this year, Claude spent most of his time in the countryside of France, working on his impressionist paintings inspired by the landscape that was found around him.
This series of haystack paintings feature the same subjects but different lighting, perspectives, and times of the day.
Initially, it was not meant to be a series but only a collection of two paintings, but Monet realized that he could not capture the depth and beauty of the subject in just two paintings.
Unfortunately, all the paintings are not in one place but are scattered throughout famous galleries across the globe.
14. Impression, Sunrise
“Impression” is one of the few Claude Monet paintings that received harsh criticism from the art community on its release.
This was because it was one of the earliest paintings that portrayed the habits of impressionism and abstraction at the same time.
Because of this many considered the painting incomplete and called the artist just lazy so as not to finish the painting.
Later, the same critics who initially disapproved of the painting realized how beautiful and meaningful it was.
The monotonous hue of the color blue is said to depict the darkness before sunrise, maintaining the whole focus on the dim sun.
It is now part of the collection of the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris.
13. Garden At Sainte-Adresse
This painting is considered by many critics to be the best representation of human presence in a landscape.
“Garden at Saint-Adresse” is the fruition of the artist’s stay in Saint-Adresse, where he set his eyes upon a small garden where he painted this artwork.
The subjects in the foreground are said to be his father and cousin-mother, and the woman with her back to the viewer is speculated to be his sister.
Another reason for painting them in the foreground is that his relationship with his family was tense that summer due to his involvement with his soon-to-be wife.
Over a period of time, this painting started to gain a lot of popularity for its similarities with the Japanese style of painting on wooden boxes.
The elevated angle of the painting, which puts the viewer at a higher angle, is also something that was seen as the first in the genre, which gave it a special status among Claude Monet’s famous paintings.
Today, this painting is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
12. Camille (The Woman in the Green Dress)
“Camille” or “The Woman in the Green Dress” is one of the most famous portraits by Claude Monet.
The main subject of the painting is Camille Monet, who was the wife of the famous painter.
The famous artist created liveliness in the painting by showing movement in the folds of the emerald dress and the backward viewing subjects of the painting.
With the red curtain in the background, the artist successfully creates a great contrast with the dark and the emerald dress. This helps in creating a focus on the subject of the painting.
It now hangs on the wall of the Kunsthalle Bremen in Germany.
11. Pathway In Monet’s Garden
“Pathway in Monet’s Garden” is a painting that was painted in late 1902 and is one of the later works of the famous painter.
This scene is from Claude’s garden at Giverny, which is a recurring theme of his paintings from this time period.
It depicts a pathway beautifully laden with flowers on either side leading up to an arch that the viewer can see in the distance.
This painting was part of a series of paintings that featured his garden without the pond as it was under construction.
One of the most famous Claude Monet paintings, it now is a part of the collection at Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere, Austria.
10. The Magpie
One of the most famous Claude Monet paintings, The Magpie, is a landscape painting filled with snow and traces of human settlement.
It depicts the home of his then-girlfriend Camille and is also one of the largest winter paintings by Monet.
This famous painting receives its name from the solitary magpie, which can be seen in the left section of the painting.
Apart from being an impeccable landscape painting, it is also one of the most famous paintings of still life that reveals the true nature of his art.
The colored shadows encapsulated by the artist, which will later become associated with the impressionist movement, are one of the most famous aspects of the painting.
Today, it can be seen by art fanatics at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
9. Stormy Sea In Etretat
Monet was inspired by the stormy sea numerous times during his visits to Etretat, in Normandy.
This is where he was mesmerized by the landscapes of Normandy and visited almost every year.
The biggest reason for the popularity of this painting is the movement the artist was able to show by using singular brush strokes.
There are many different elements displayed in the painting, including the two fishermen and their boats on the beach, the large cliff in the background, and the silvery waves in the center.
At first glance, the viewer is left with many questions for the artist, which is a common theme in many impressionist paintings.
This painting is now preserved at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in France.
8. Arrival Of The Normandy Train
Claude is said to have paid his respects to the modernity of the city of Paris with this famous impressionist painting.
In the painting, the artist has placed a lot of focus on the glass and iron train shed, where he found an unnatural amount of effects like the rising of the steam and the crowd of people portrayed.
This series was also Monet’s last attempt to show urban realities in his paintings, as he had little interest in urban areas and was really fond of the countryside and serenity in his paintings.
Apart from this, the train that is shown is the Gare Saint-Lazare, which was the train connecting Paris with Normandy.
Today, it is at the Art Institute of Chicago in the USA.
7. Bain À LA Grenouillere
The subject of this famous landscape painting was the island resort of La Grenouillere, located on the river Seine.
It was a famous vacation spot for the middle-class French populous and consisted of a floating cafe, which was a common depiction in Claude Monet paintings.
This famous painting was from the time when Monet was on vacation with one of his artist friends, Pierre Renoir.
Both of them were struggling financially and would sell their paintings to the locals in exchange for their services.
When the painting was first sold to the owner of a resort, the reality of the ripples caught his fascination so much that he allowed the artists to live for free for a week.
Although his main subjects were the people on the surface of the water, the reflection of the light is what caused the painting to soar in popularity.
It is now on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
6. Poppy Fields Near Argenteuil
One of the most famous Claude Monet paintings, Poppy Fields Near Argenteuil, depicts the artist’s wife and son walking through a poppy-laden field.
It beautifully captures the summer’s day of 1873, with wispy clouds hanging low over the field of poppies.
Blobs of color acting as red flowers and unclear expressions on the faces made this painting the first step taken toward the abstraction of art in the community.
There are two different color zones dominated by the colors red and bluish-green, which create a great contrast between them and add depth to the painting.
If a viewer wishes to view it, it is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
5. La Pointe de la Hève at Low Tide
La Pointe de la Heve at Low Tide is one of two landscape paintings that were painted by the famous artist that earned him the nickname “the Raphael of water,” who was one of the most famous Renaissance artists in the world.
This was one of the first Claude Monet paintings and helped launch the career of the famous artist.
There was a time when viewers would confuse themselves between Monet’s signature on the painting and that of Edward Manet, another famous painter.
When Edward started receiving praise for a painting that he had not painted, he sought out Monet and started supporting the young artist, even influencing some of his seascapes.
Today, this famous seascape is hanging on the walls of the Kahn building of the Kimbell Art Museum.
4. The Artist’s Garden At Giverny
A recurring scheme in all of the famous Claude Monet paintings, The Artist’s Garden at Giverny, is a landscape oil painting of his garden at his house in Giverny.
When this painting was completed, Monet was 60 years old and had achieved fame and recognition for his impressionist paintings.
It depicts rows of irises in various shades of color, like purple, pink, and red.
This flowerbed was installed by Monet in memory of his beloved aunt, who had the same flower bed.
It started a series of paintings that were famously titled “Water Gardens in Giverny.”
Today it hangs at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.
Also read: Rembrandt paintings that portray his mastery in portraits
3. Camille Monet On A Garden Bench
One of the most famous Claude Monet paintings, Camille Monet on a Garden Bench, depicts the sadness on the face of his wife due to the passing of her father.
The gentleman in the background is said to be a neighbor who had come to give his condolences with a bouquet of flowers, which is seen on the bench.
This famous painting has a hint of ambivalence to it, depicting sad tones and tones of happiness at the same time.
The mound of Germanium flowers behind Camille helps identify the location of the painting as their house in Argentuil.
And it is these flowers that add a sense of happy surroundings to the sad Camille.
It is now on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
2. Beach In Pourville
Beach in Pourville is a depiction of a beach the artist visited in the summer of 1882.
He created this impressionist horticulture painting because he wanted to keep a reminder of the time that he had spent there.
It was one of a series of paintings that the artist painted in northern France.
The painting was stolen in September 2000, as it was cut out of its frame and replaced by a cardboard replica.
It was restored in Poland, after a decade; later, it was housed by the National Museum of Poland.
1. Houses Of Parliament
One of the most famous of Claude Monet’s paintings, Houses of Parliament, depicts the houses of Westminster and its palace in the autumn of 1899.
Before this, Monet had actually given up on painting because he really lacked the motif that he wanted in the city.
It shares the viewpoint of Monet’s window at St. Thomas’ Hospital overlooking the Thames.
He proceeded to paint a series of paintings, which later found great popularity amongst critics for the brilliant contrast that the artist was able to portray.
In these paintings, Monet tried to capture the cumulative atmosphere around the architecture of the Palace.
(Also Read: Paintings By Caravaggio That Portrayed His Mastery In Chiaroscuro)
Final Thoughts
Claude Monet was romantic, deeply in love with his wife, who posed as the model for most of his paintings.
But he was also one of the leading impressionist artists, who also paved the way for the abstraction of art as well as modern art.
Additionally, some of his works of art are among the most expensive paintings in the world and are displayed in some of the most prestigious museums in the world.
I’m sure you’d enjoy adding one of them to the walls of your living room.
But you don’t have millions of dollars to buy one?
Then look no further; you can have any of these paintings reproduced by our professional artists and improve the decor of your house without breaking the bank.
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