Claude Monet’s paintings were quite different from the art styles that were popular in the 1870s France. Traditional artists always did their artwork in a studio and their paintings looked exactly like the real world. Claude Monet was part of a group of painters who were called Impressionists (印象派画家). Their paintings gave an impression of what the real world looked like.

Knowing that trains were interesting subjects and stood for modern progress (进步), Claude Monet painted a series of Impressionist paintings of trains from January to March of 1877.

Monet’s friend, Pierre Auguste Renoir, told the following story to his sons about Claude Monet and painting the trains. Monet needed permission (允许) to stay on the train platform and paint what he saw in his impressionistic style. One day Monet dressed himself in his very best clothes. It seemed that he was a rich gentleman but in fact he really was a poor painter.

He showed the clerk (职员) at the train office his calling card which introduced him as Claude Monet, Painter. He asked to see the station master. The clerk quickly allowed this fine gentleman to enter the station master’s office. The station master gave Monet permission to paint on the train platform. He even stopped trains from leaving on time so Monet could complete a scene even though passengers complained.

Was it all worthwhile (值得)? Monet’s train scenes turned his career into a success and for the station master, made his train station famous until even now.   

Claude Monet