Claude Monet’s artwork was very expressive in nature and his preferred style was Impressionism. Monet’s paintings of waterlilies are arguably his most widely-appreciated works. But, what are Monet’s most famous paintings? Today, we will reveal our pick of the top Monet paintings produced by this master artist.
Our List of Claude Monet’s Most Famous Paintings
Throughout the course of Claude Monet’s life, his art progressed from initially drawing caricatures of his friends to portraying nature and all of its subtle nuances. He wanted to try to emulate reality by investigating the constantly changing dynamics of color and light. Claude Monet’s talents were lauded in his own lifetime and he attained great success as an artist and exhibited how works regularly. Before we reveal our list of Monet’s most famous paintings, let us first introduce you to this significant individual.
A Brief Introduction to Claude Monet
| Artist’s Full Name | Oscar-Claude Monet |
| Nationality | French |
| Date of Birth | 14 November 1840 |
| Date of Death | 5 December 1926 |
| Place of Birth | Rue Laffitte, Paris, France |
As with many artists, Claude Monet’s fascination with art emerged at an early age, formally studying at the secondary school of arts, Le Havre. He relocated to Paris after serving in the military, determined to pursue art further. It was in Paris that he met other artists who instilled his love for capturing the outdoors and was strongly influenced by the Barbizon school. Along with several other artists, Claude Monet developed a new artistic movement known as Impressionism in the 1870s. Their biggest goal was to try to portray the effect that light played in nature and capture that in their works.
This movement was not particularly well received in the more traditional art world initially, however, over time they grew to be recognized and appreciated for their novel ideas and style. Monet’s artworks often depicted the same subject matter, yet capture in varying lighting conditions, such as his paintings of waterlilies and haystacks. Despite being rather successful, he still experienced moments of financial difficulties, however, he continued to paint and eventually gained fame in international circles. Today, his work can be found in many of the most esteemed museums and galleries around the world. .
Renowned Claude Monet Artworks
Monet’s paintings are identifiable by his somewhat loose brushwork which serves to capture impressions of nature by focusing on the interplay between light and colors. Monet’s artworks are highly celebrated for conveying an atmospheric mood to the audience. He enjoyed depicting scenes taken from everyday life, in addition to his personal gardens and landscapes. Without further ado, let’s explore some of Monet’s most famous paintings.
Garden at Sainte-Adresse (1867)
| Date Completed | 1867 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 98 x 130 |
| Location | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States |
This painting was produced in Sainte-Adresse. The artist painted the view of Honfleur from his garden situated on the southern side of the Seine River. The people depicted are reputed to be members of Monet’s family, including his father, cousins, and his uncle. While the scene suggests an idyllic household, Monet’s relationship with his father was considerably strained in real life. The high viewpoint and typically equal horizontal portions accentuate the piece’s two-dimensionality, and rather than withdrawing into space, the composition appears to ascend parallel to the pictorial plane. The flat horizontal strips of color in the piece are evocative of Japanese woodblock prints. In fact, Monet was an avid collector of such artworks and was believed to have own a Japanese print that is very reminiscent of this image, even possibly inspiring its overall look.
Bain à la Grenouillère (1869)
| Date Completed | 1869 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 75 x 99 |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, New York City, United States |
La Grenouillère was a well-known resort that included a spa and a café that floated on the water. It was situated near Bougival on the Seine, and conveniently reached by taking a train from Paris. Monet and his family were living in great poverty in Saint-Michel, France. in 1869. Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir regarded this resort as excellent subject matter for the paintings of leisurely scenes that they planned to sell to the local market. Monet focused on recurring aspects of the scene – the rippling lake, the lush vegetation, the people present, and the idyllic boats – in order to create an arrangement of brushstrokes that have a powerfully descriptive character. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who was also significantly impoverished at the time, was residing nearby with his parents.
Impression Sunrise (1872)
| Date Completed | 1872 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 48 x 63 |
| Location | Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, France |
While many art movements developed rather slowly over time, Impressionism emerged very suddenly, specifically due to this particular artwork. It is true that Monet was already a well-known artist by the time this painting was first exhibited, however, the style he used to create this piece would come to define the Impressionism movement. Many critics mocked the works first exhibited by these artists, complaining that the works did not attempt to replicate a landscape, but merely to create the impression of such a landscape. This famous Monet painting is a depiction of the port of Le Havre and was painted from the window of a building that the artist was staying in at the time. When Monet was asked what he wanted to call the work for the exhibit catalog, he felt that it did not pass as an actual view of the port and decided to instead name it an impression. While critics may have initially used the word to mock the movement, the artists ultimately decided to embrace the title.
Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse (1872)
| Date Completed | 1872 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 60 x 74 |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States |
Jean Monet (Claude Monet and Camille’s first child), was born in 1867. During the family’s early years in Argenteuil, the child appears in a number of Monet’s paintings. The artist depicted Jean riding a beloved toy, relaxing in the seclusion of the family’s yard, instead of a conventional portrait of the young boy. However, the artist never displayed the work of art and kept it for himself for the rest of his life. He created this painting shortly after returning to France after an exile following the Franco-Prussian War. His circumstances started to improve thanks to the assistance of Paul Durand-Ruel, the art dealer, enabling the previously poor couple to rent a home in Argenteuil, a charming neighborhood.
Camille Monet on a Garden Bench (1873)
| Date Completed | 1873 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 61 x 80 |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States |
One of Claude Monet’s most famous paintings, it portrays his first wife in an idyllic scene. Camille is portrayed seated on a wooden chair surrounded by lush foliage and flowers in this artwork, capturing a transitory moment of color and light. Monet’s affection for Camille, who died of TB in 1879, is also apparent in the artwork. She was his favorite model, and she was featured in a number of his works. She was said to be a very supportive spouse, encouraging his creative endeavors and sharing his love of nature. This Monet artwork honors their connection while also serving as a reminder of their separation. It was created the year Camille’s father died. A gentleman in dark clothing can also be seen leaning over the bench, and another female figure carrying a parasol can likewise be observed standing near a bed of flowers in the background.
Poppy fields near Argenteuil (1873)
| Date Completed | 1873 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 54 x 73 |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States |
Claude Monet spent many years in the little French village of Argentueil after returning from England. The natural beauty around this particular spot remained a regular source of inspiration for the artist, prompting him to produce artworks such as this one. Some trees and a solitary house in the middle of the scene comprise the background of the landscape. Monet brings the scene to life by including four individuals strolling through the poppy field.
The green field depcited in the painting is dotted with red-colored poppies. Some of them have already been selected by the small girl in the lower part of the painting. If you look carefully at the poppies, you’ll observe two distinct tones of red, one faint tone and one stronger tone used to accentuate the flowers. This gives the flowers form and depth. The painting’s borders are mostly soft and subdued, allowing the viewer’s gaze to smoothly move across the canvas from one area to another.
Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son (1875)
| Date Completed | 1875 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 100 x 81 |
| Location | National Gallery of Art, Washington, United States |
The artist’s son Jean and his first wife Camille and are depicted walking around Argenteuil. It is likely that it was painted outside in a single session, which explains its spontaneous and intimate ambiance. Camille turns to face us, her clothing twirling over her torso, indicating movement. His brushwork traces the curves of the clothing. The boy, though, seems more still and does not convey much movement. For the faces, the artist used flat and simple brushstrokes.
He applied quick, jabby strokes to create the grass which results in a more erratic abd varied appearance. Instead of the Old Masters’ use of browns and blacks for shadows, he and the other artists in the Impressionism movement opted for purples, blues, greens, and reds. The veil blown about Madame Monet’s face, the contour of her clothing, and the swaying of the flowers in the foreground all indicate the impact of the strong wind that must have been present that day.
Arrival of the Normandy Train (1877)
| Date Completed | 1877 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 60 x 80 |
| Location | Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, United States |
The station, which connected Normandy and Paris and fostered the artist’s outdoor painting method in the 1860s, additionally served as the point of transit for villages and towns visited by the artists of the Impressionism movement to the north and west of Paris. He opted to concentrate on the glass and iron railway shed, where he discovered an intriguing mix of natural and artificial effects: rising steam from locomotives confined within the building, and daylight entering the vast, opaque parts at the top. His paintings of this station marked the beginning of what would become a standard practice for him of depicting a particular theme repeated with the goal of capturing subtle changes in the environment around him. However, the series also constituted his final attempt to cope with the realities of urban life. He would be primarily a landscape artist from that point onwards.
Beach in Pourville (1882)
| Date Completed | 1882 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 60 x 73 |
| Location | National Museum, Poznań, Poland |
In 1882, Claude Monet spent the winter at Pourville. He enjoyed his time there so decided to return the next summer along with his family. This is one of the artworks that he created while there. It portrays a deserted beach with cliffs on both ends, and the water and sky take up around two-thirds of the canvas. It was removed from its frame in the National Museum in 2000. The person responsible for stealing it attempted to hide the theft for as long as possible by replacing the artwork with a cardboard copy. A decade later, the police in Poland finally retrieved the artwork and handed it back to the Museum. It had an estimated value of more than $1 million at the time, and it was the only Monet painting on public exhibition in Poland.
Stormy Sea in Étretat (1883)
| Date Completed | 1883 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 100 x 81 |
| Location | Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, France |
This Monet artwork portrays a turbulent sea on a cold winter’s day. During the winter of 1864 to 1865, the artist visited this region regularly. The work of art is made up of four primary components, each of which is handled differently. The middle section contains the foamy waves. At the bottom, we can see two fishermen standing next to their boat which appears to have been battered by the waters, perhaps forcing them to go aground. In the background we can make out cliffs, with waves crashing against the sides, causing small bursts of mist to arise. The perception of movement on the water is meticulously established with individual brushstrokes and vivid colors. Monet was well-known for layering colors while the first was still wet. His brushstrokes are free and expressive, portraying the waves’ textures as well as the dance of light on the surface of the sea.
Haystacks (1891)
| Date Completed | 1891 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 60 x 100 |
| Location | Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Claude Monet produced these beautiful depictions of rural scenes over the period of four years, comprising around 25 works in total. The artist visited the farmers’ fields at various times of the day and throughout the various seasons. The warmth of this series reflects the comfort that the artist discovered in Giverny. In addition, the design of the grain stacks, with their roof-like crowns, is reminiscent of the houses in Europe.
Yet, there was a geographical explanation for their shape: the peaked slopes allowed rain to run off more easily. The field where the stacks were located belonged to Monet’s neighbor, whose meadows were a short distance from Monet’s house, allowing him to stop by regularly to observe the scenery or make sketches of it. Although this series of paintings is today considered a valued component of Claude Monet’s output, he encountered significant condemnation for his chosen topic throughout the 19th century. This is because many considered the motif as unexciting.
Morning on the Seine near Giverny (1897)
| Date Completed | 1897 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 81 x 93 |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States |
Claude Monet’s Seine series, which he started in 1896, was not completed until a year later due to poor weather. He produced the landscapes on a small boat that he had turned into a studio after diligently researching for appropriate places along the river. Over a rather extended time period, Claude Monet awakened before dawn to capture the ever-changing effects of the sunlight on the environment as the sun rose every day.
The artist then arranged the paintings on easels in his workshop to finish them as a series of paintings. The hues Monet employed in these works of art are harmonious, creating a tapestry-like impression. The observer’s gaze is led through the scenery to the point where the sky connects with the water. The point of view of the painting is from an angle overlooking the water, giving the observer the impression of weightlessness.
The Water Lily Pond (1899)
| Date Completed | 1899 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 93 x 74 |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States |
Claude Monet started turning the swampy terrain behind his house into a pond in 1893, just a few years after purchasing the estate in Giverny, and constructed a wooden bridge in the distinctive Japanese style on the narrowest end of the pond. Thus, Monet established the lush landscape that would become one of his primary subjects for the remainder of his life, incorporating both domestic and foreign vegetation, most notably, his famed water lilies. This was one of 18 similar renditions of this theme that he created over a two-year period, with the common element being the merging of the waterlilies with the reflection of other plants on the surface of the pond. This series of works was produced more than a decade and a half after the artists in the Impressionism movement had started to go their own ways. Monet was so obsessed with this view of the pond that he was said to have visited it several times a day to observe how the light affected the environment.
The Artist’s Garden at Giverny (1900)
| Date Completed | 1900 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions (cm) | 81 x 92 |
| Location | Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France |
The artist researched extensively to obtain the specific look he was going for in his backyard, designing and arranging his flowerbeds with the color of his blooms and the timing of their flowering in mind to obtain a constant aesthetic in his garden. He established a list of fundamental rules to which he consistently adhered: the bare ground was abhorrent to him; he disliked dark flowers; and he couldn’t get enough of blue. Claude Monet’s beautiful garden was a continual source of creative inspiration for him, especially later in life, and comprised one especially significant flowerbed created in remembrance of his adored aunt.
Claude Monet was 60 years old when he finished the piece, and he had previously created a massive body of work and by this point, he’d become extremely successful. Rows of irises in varying colors of pink and purple are arranged diagonally across the image plane in the work of art. The blossoms are located under trees, which modify the vibrancy of their colors by enabling diffused light to pass through.
That wraps up our list of Monet’s most famous paintings. While the artist was very prolific and produced many notable works, these Monet artworks best exemplify his artistic journey. The legacy of Claude Monet continues to live on through his groundbreaking approach to creating art, examination of the study of color and light, and its lasting effect on future generations of artists. His work within the Impressionism movement changed the way that people made art during his own lifetime. Today, his influence is still as significant as ever and his works continue to be highly-valued additions to many museums across the globe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Characterized Claude Monet’s Art?
Claude Monet is well-known for his series of paintings depicting the exact same scenes in various lighting situations as well as at different times of the day. This enabled him to learn about the intricacies of light in the environment he was trying to portray. His brushstrokes were very expressive, adding movement and intensity to his works. He also felt that he had a strong connection to nature and was able to find inspiration in certain environments. He was captivated by the beauty and complexity of the outside world, both natural environments and manmade landscapes, such as his Giverny garden.
What Is Claude Monet’s Most Famous Painting?
Monet produced many renowned artworks during his lifetime, and many of them are very well known. His Waterlilies series was particularly well received, however, he also produced many other series of paintings based on the same theme. For example, he also made many paintings based on the theme of haystacks. Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son (1875) is also often regarded as one of his more well-known and appreciated works. One could argue that Impression Sunrise (1872) is his most significant, as it lent its name to a new art movement that changed the face of art at the time.
