Monet Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where are most of Monet’s paintings located?

A: Monet’s paintings have been spread throughout the world. The largest collection of Monet paintings is located at the Marmottan Monet Museum in Paris, France and includes the famous Impression, Sunrise.

Q: Where can I buy Monet prints?

A: Monet prints can be purchased from a variety of retailers including online at the Van Gogh Gallery Art Store. Search ‘Monet’.

Q: How many paintings did Monet create?

A: There are some 2,500 paintings, drawings and pastels that have been attributed to Impressionist Claude Monet. Most likely the number is even larger than that as it is known that Monet destroyed a number of his own works and others have surely been lost over time. The actual number of Monet paintings is unknown.

Q: What is the top selling Monet painting?

A: On June 24,2008, one of Monet’s famous water lily paintings titled, Le Bassin aux Nympheas, (Water Lily Pond) sold for $80.5 million, at Christie’s in London. This was more than double the amount of his previous sales record.

Q: When did Monet start painting?

A: Monet was interested in art from an early age. His first creations were caricatures that he made of his teachers while he was at school. At the age of 15 he began selling his well drawn caricatures. It wasn’t until 1857 when Monet met artist Eugene Boudin, who introduced him to the practice of painting in the open air, that he discovered an appreciation of painting landscapes.

Q: I have a painting or a print in my possession that I think may be an original Monet work. Can you tell me what it is worth?

A: No, the Monet Gallery is only an online resource for information about the life and work of Claude Monet; we cannot authenticate works of art. If you are interested in knowing the value of the piece you have follow these steps:

Establish the provenance of your piece (Where did it come from - including dates and locations of ownership.)
Contact a local art authenticator or art historian to determine the value of your piece.

Q:   I am doing a project or writing a paper on Monet. How do I cite this site as a reference?

A:   Name of Site: C Monet Gallery
       Date of Posting: 23 October 2008
       Name of Author/Organization Affiliated with the Site: Templeton Reid, LLC.
       Site Address: <http://www.cmonetgallery.com/>.

Q: Do Monet’s paintings look the way they do because he had vision problems?

A: Yes, the effect in some of Monet’s paintings, especially the later ones, is a result of Monet’s cataracts.

Q: Are Manet and Monet different artists?

A: Yes, Edouard Manet and (Oscar) Claude Monet were two different artists; both have become known as great masters. Incidentally, Manet was one of the primary artistic influences on Monet.