Claude Monet “Woman with a Parasol” 1875
Claude Monet “Woman with a Parasol” 1875 (39.2 x 32.0 inches (99.5 x 81.3 cm)
In the painting “Woman with a Parasol” (39.2 x 32.0 inches (99.5 x 81.3 cm) a woman is seen in a flower field shown with motion as the strong gusts of wind twists her dress and veil. A young boy stands to the woman’s side seamlessly in less motion depicted with large loose brushstrokes. This painting is one of Claude Monet’s best works painted with oil on canvas like most of his works it is painted in an impressionistic style. The painting depicts Monet’s wife, Camille Monet, holding a parasol and standing in the wind on a grassy hillside. Their son, Jean Monet, is seen in the background, walking along with his mother. The painting feels lighthearted as the Monet family enjoys their nature walk on a fair and breezy day. Monet’s use of light and atmosphere is enhanced in this painting. The wind appears to be blowing Camille’s dress and the parasol, creating a sense of movement and spontaneity. The depiction of the wild flowers under the woman’s feet feels free and simple yet detailed in a bizarre way. Monet’s commonly used light palette of greens, blues, and whites dominates the composition. The light tones of Camille’s dress contrast with the vivid greenery of the field, while the bluish hue of her parasol reflects the sky above, the whole piece is pulled together by his masterful usage of colors. The use of light greens and yellows gives the feeling a sense of sunniness, a beautiful spring or summer day. Monet’s brushwork is loose and energetic, short and thick strokes that reveal Monet’s impressionist approach to painting; it emphasizes the fleeting qualities of the scene rather than focusing on details. His style of painting is shown evidently in the impressionist movement.
The woman in the painting is Monet’s first wife Camille Monet, her pose is graceful and relaxed, she is depicted mid-motion turning to look at the viewer with her parasol tiled against the wind. This adds a sense of immediacy and motion to the painting. The folds of the dress are painted incredibly with the lights being the light blue that is reflected from the sky, and the reflected light being the warm yellowish flowers and grass below her figure. The figures are mostly cool toned but the parasol is reflective of both the sky and the ground. The underside of the parasol is green, and the top is a bright blue hue. The young boy is her son Jean, he is more loosely depicted in the background, he is shown as a secondary character to the composition, his pose contrasts that of Camille’s because he is motionless in effects of the wind.
As an Impressionist work, the painting focuses less on fine details and more on capturing the emotional resonance of a moment in time. It amazes me that the colors come together so seamlessly, up close it is hard to depict what is being painted but once you step back the colors and shapes come together to create a beautiful piece of art. The painting to me is an intimate family portrait, capturing a moment in everyday life Monet’s focus on family in his paintings was quite personal and this particular piece serves as a gentle portrayal of the private lives of the artist and his family. The composition is spontaneous and is likely influenced by the discovery of photography as an art form where it captures a moment in time without well planned out compositions. Would you like to take a walk in this flowery hillside in Argenteuil, France?
Claude Monet “Woman with a Parasol” 1875 (39.2 x 32.0 inches (99.5 x 81.3 cm)
