Oscar-Claude Monet was born on the 14th of November 1840 in Paris. When Monet was 16 years old his mother died and he went to live with his aunt.
In 1861 he joined the army, leaving 2 years later to study art. He moved to Paris to study under Charles Gleyre, and whilst there he befriended other artists such as Renoir.
Monet had his first piece accepted for display in 1865, and in 1874 the first Impressionist exhibition was held, in which Monet took part.
Monet struggled with depression which was not helped when his wife and model, Camille, died at the age of 32. He painted a study of her body and the resultant piece expresses his intense sense of loss.