Claude Monet was the founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent practitioner of the movement’s philosophy of expressing one’s perception before nature, especially as applied to landscape painting. He was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris. In April 1851, Monet entered the Le Havre secondary school of the arts. He first became known locally for his charcoal caricatures that he would sell. On The beaches of Normandy in 1856, Monet met Eugene Boudin, who became his mentor and taught him to use oil paints. After the death of Monet’s wife, he began creating some of his best paintings of the 19th century. He painted several groups of landscapes that he considered to be campaigns, which evolved into his series of paintings.