Claude Monet (1840-1926) the quintessential Impressionist, started his career in the 1860s but remained productive throughout the first quarter of the twentieth century. Carla Rachman's clear and engaging account offers an accessible introduction to Monet's art, analysing the works themselves and also the social basis for the shifts in taste and the changing political and economic forces within Monet's lifetime. The artist's personal life, his relations with dealers, patrons, critics and institutions are seen as formative influences on the choice of subject and construction of pictures.

The book traces critical reaction to Monet's work from the early years, which were marked by a clash with conventional artistic values, to the present, when Monet's vision of the world has gained popularity with the public at large.