There’s a hypothesis that some thinkers start out with a high level of productivity and skill at a young age, and gradually decline from there, and some start out at a lower level of skill and productivity, and gradually improve over time, before hitting a decline at very old age. I believe Wikipedia has an article on it, but I can no longer remember what it’s called. If anyone can remember, I believe the page discusses the body of evidence for it.
I finally remembered where I read about that kind of dichotomy—it was a Malcolm Gladwell article which does indeed mention Monet but only in the context of using Cezanne as an example of the gradually improving type: http://www.gladwell.com/2008/2008_10_20_a_latebloomers.html
There’s a hypothesis that some thinkers start out with a high level of productivity and skill at a young age, and gradually decline from there, and some start out at a lower level of skill and productivity, and gradually improve over time, before hitting a decline at very old age. I believe Wikipedia has an article on it, but I can no longer remember what it’s called. If anyone can remember, I believe the page discusses the body of evidence for it.
I finally remembered where I read about that kind of dichotomy—it was a Malcolm Gladwell article which does indeed mention Monet but only in the context of using Cezanne as an example of the gradually improving type: http://www.gladwell.com/2008/2008_10_20_a_latebloomers.html
For some reason, that idea triggers an association with the Impressionist painter Monet.