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Have you ever been to France before? It is not only a country of great food, fashion and art. It’s also home to the most influential painters in the world.
Edouard Manet
He was one of the first artists to paint modern life. He began to paint in his own style, but still used some of Couture’s techniques like thick lines and dark colors. He was greatly influenced by Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot, which can be seen in his use of light shades. Most of his paintings had scenes of daily life on the streets of Paris. His works include Olympia and The Absinthe Drinker.
Camille Pissarro
In his early years, Pissarro painted scenes of a river or a path from memory. After meeting Claude Monet and Paul Cezanne, who painted in a more realistic style, he changed his course to Impressionism. During his career, he experimented with various styles, and finally formed his own one. His works include Old Market at Rouen and Sunset at St. Charles.
Vincent van Gogh
He had a huge influence on art in the 20th century. His early works were most painted in somber tones. However, influenced by Monet, Pissarro, and Bernard, he adopted brighter colors in his works, and started creating his own techniques. Although he had produced more than 2,000 works of art, the artist sold only one painting during his lifetime — Red Vineyard at Arles. His works include The Potato Eaters, Starry Night and Bedroom in Arles.
Claude Monet
He was the founder of the Impressionist movement and completely changed the French painting in the 19th century. Although he first started by selling charcoal caricatures（木炭讽刺画）in Paris, he soon started painting with oil after meeting Eugene Boudin, who taught him to use oil paints and also encouraged him to paint outdoors. And then he painted with his own style. His works include Impression, Sunrise and The Water Liles.
1. What can we learn about Edouard Manet’s paintings?
A. They reflected the changes of life.
B. They were mainly about daily life.
C. They were all painted in bright colors.
D. They were painted in Morisot’s style.
2. Which painting was sold by Vincent van Gogh in person?
A. The Potato Eaters. B. Bedroom in Arles.
C. Red Vineyard at Arles. D. Starry Night.
3. What’s the common point of the four painters from the text?
A. All of them were given many awards in their life.
B. All of them were taught by some famous painters.
C. All of them had a good taste in delicious food.
D. All of them had their unique styles in painting.
