Along with his contemporaires, the French impressionists define a movement (social transformation) in art history. Gone were the dark, dreary paitings of the 18th century.Monet achieved his success by painting a wide range of subjects in vivid, colorful, harmony; often laying colors next to one another or in short brush strokes, not muddled, not blended, but side-by-side. From his earliest sketches to his greatest paintings, his lifetime reflects real talent and pure genius. He is one of the world's best known painters of all time. He painted plein air, alla prima (out doors all at once) with spontaneity and vivacity, capturing the effects of light as well as the season, conveying time and its effect on the surroundings. He was a keen observer of nature and often placed people into his landscapes.
