The first comprehensive examination of the painter’s formative years, tracing the evolution of Monet’s early style and personal ambitions that drove the rest of his career. This elegant volume is the first to be devoted to the young genius of Claude Monet (1840–1926). Bringing together the greatest paintings from his early career - including Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (Luncheon on the Grass) and The Magpie from the Musée d’Orsay - it features essays by distinguished scholars, focusing on the evolution of Monet’s own distinctive mode of painting. Through the 1860s, the young painter absorbed and transformed a variety of influences. Artistic innovation and personal ambition shaped the work of the celebrated impressionist painter from the very start of his long and illustrious career. "This book surprises and illuminates. It offers a fresh, coherent reassessment of Monet’s early career.”– Choice