He attempted suicide in his 20s

While residing in Paris, Monet continued to capture the outdoors, and the critics began to notice and appreciate his work. As he worked on an eight-foot painting called "Women in the Garden" in the outside light, the critic's opinion of his art suddenly altered. Monet invested a lot of time and effort in the painting, but when the reviewers mocked it, it badly damaged his psyche and sent him into a depressive state.

Additionally, the stringent rules governing what was deemed art at the time turned the young Monet off of the French art world. He detested imitating the aesthetic of famous artists of the day, yet his work was frequently dismissed. He leaped over a bridge and into the Seine because he was so angry and unhappy about his failing career. He managed to survive the fall, but he ultimately came into a group of "outsiders" who shared his dissatisfaction with the Academie and its onerous regulations.