Oscar-Claude Monet, a French painter and founder of impressionist painting, is a key precursor to modernism. His attempts to paint nature as he perceived it have left a lasting influence on the art world.

Monet focuses on capturing the fleeting quality of light and color in nature as he perceives it, essentially "painting impressions" rather than detailed representations. His famous works like 'Impression, Sunrise' and 'Water Lilies' are prime examples of this approach.