A French Impressionist artist whose dedication to the study of light, tone and color and their relationship resulted in world acclaim.    Educated at Le Havre where he met Boudin who encouraged him to paint nature on the spot.   A practice which is evident  much later in his career years when his own garden was to afford him subjects, particularly the "Nymphéas" (Water Lillies).    In the late 1860s, working with Renoir, they produced the 1st pure Impressionist paintings.   During the 1870s he worked closely with Manet, Morisot, Renoir and Sisley but his first big public success was not to come until 1889 at an exhibition he shared with Rodin.