Known by some as the father of Impressionism, Claude Monet was a prolific French painter of the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. His works still command impressive prices at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, almost a hundred years after his passing, and with good reason.

He was one of the first few artists to break out of the highly refined style of Neo-classicism, facing endless criticism and rejection for his foray into a more expressionistic style.