Claude Monet

About Claude Monet

Claude Monet (1840–1926) was a foundational French painter and the most recognized figure of the Impressionist movement. His radical approach involved capturing the fleeting effects of light and color, moving away from traditional studio work to paint en plein air. This technique, exemplified in series like his Water Lilies and Rouen Cathedral paintings, fundamentally shifted the trajectory of modern art and secured his legacy, which the Pantheon project ranks at #168 in overall historical importance.

Despite this high historical ranking, Monet's contemporary internet attention suggests a gap. He accrued 1.1 million annual Wikipedia views in 2025. While a significant number, this places him in a state of overattention relative to his importance, indicated by an Attention Gap of +2x. For perspective, this is less than half the attention given to Bill Clinton (#704 importance, 6.6M views) or even Ivana Trump (#362 importance, 4.0M views), suggesting a relative over-indexing of art history interest compared to other figures of the modern era.

Monet's momentum remains positive, with a +7% increase in viewership between Q1 and Q3 of 2025, indicating sustained, if not rapidly accelerating, interest in his work online.