Carla Rachman`s clear and engaging account offers an accessible introduction to Monet`s life and 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 and his relations with dealers, patrons, critics and institutions are seen as formative influences on his work. 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.