Impression Sunrise (1872) by Claude Monet

Claude Monet painted this Impression Sunrise in 1872. Monet was once asked why he chose the title Impression for the work that became the critical flash point in the first Impressionist exhibition. He answered that he had painted his own impression of the spectacle of a blood red sun cutting through the misty atmosphere rather than a portrait of Le Havre Harbor.

Claude Monet's Impression Sunrise (18-7/8x 24-3/4 inches) is an oil on canvas housed at the Musee Marmottan in Paris.

Just as this painting gave a name to the movement, Monet's approach defined Impressionism as the artist's desire to capture the fugitive effects of nature.

Continue to the next page to learn about Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse, an informal portrait of Monet's young son.

To learn more about art, famous artists, and art history, check out:

• How Art Works
  
• Impressionism
  
• Michelangelo
  
• Vincent van Gogh