Who was Camille Doncieux in Claude Monet’s life?

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Painting by Claude Monet, Self-portrait in Beret, 1886, showing Monet with a full beard, dark beret, and coat against a light, textured background. — Claude Monet *Self-Portrait with a Beret*, oil on canvas by Claude Monet, 1886; in a private collection.

Camille Doncieux was a significant figure in the life of the French painter Claude Monet. They met around 1865, and she initially became his mistress. Despite the disapproval of Monet’s father, who refused to provide the couple with financial support, their relationship continued, and they had their first son, Jean, in 1867.1

Doncieux served as an important subject for Monet’s early work; he gained notable success at the Salons with a portrait of her. In 1870, the couple married, and Monet continued to feature her in his paintings, including a well-known study of her on the beach at Trouville.1