Born in France, at a very young age Debussy showed such talent as a pianist that he was sent to the Paris Conservatory where his professors recognized his unique talent, although they were already confused by his early attempts at musical innovation. Widely regarded as the father of musical impressionism, Debussy constantly sought to innovate through his compositions, and developed musical structures inspired by the ideals of the impressionist painters and writers of the time. In Paris, he composed his first masterpieces, including Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (1892) and his String Quartet (1893). However, it was not until later in his career that he composed the pieces for which he is now most famous: La Mer (1905); Images (1905) and Clair de Lune (1905)..