Presenting the lives of several of the world’s most famous artists, the Artists’ Specials series will enchant viewers with its rich storytelling and inspiring tales. In each special, the featured artist, at a major turning point in his or her life, crosses paths with a young person. From their encounters come stories that inform and entertain children and adults alike. Viewers are exposed to the most famous paintings by these creative geniuses and learn about their lives through the interactions with the children they befriend.
The story of Claude Monet starts at the very beginning of the Impressionist movement, in 1869. In a small town on the banks of the Seine outside Paris, Monet is experimenting with his revolutionary new painting style. He is passionate about color, light and nature he and his friend Pierre-Auguste Renoir spend days on end perfecting their canvasses as shimmering reflections of the local landscapes. Monet has little success selling his works, but he remains an optimist. He is also very proud, and extremely committed to his art, so much so that his rich father cuts him off from his only source of income, a family allowance.
Luckily Monet has a friend in aspiring young artist Daniel, who is the son of his landlady. Daniel also has mixed feelings about his own father, who he believes has run off to Avignon to paint. Monet gradually becomes both a mentor and father-figure in the boy's life, as Daniel even skips school to accompany Monet on his painting excursions. This greatly dismays the boy's mother, who has just evicted Monet from the inn with great fanfare. But when Daniel finally learns the truth—that his father has abandoned him—Monet is the only one who can reach through to him. Though they both feel like giving up, together they see through these difficult times and in doing so they teach each other the importance of holding on to goals and dreams.
54 minutes, Color
