Claude Monet "Study of a Figure Outdoors: Woman with a Parasol Facing Left"


   Wind!   It must be Spring if there is wind.  If you are a regular blog follower, you may remember a very similar painting I reviewed a year ago.  Our artist is Claude Monet (1840-1926) and it was typical of Monet to make several versions of the same basic subject,  making alterations in the time of day and pose of the model.   But, I selected this for this week simply because I felt it was time for an artwork that was truly beautiful.  
    The model for this painting is Suzanne Hoschede, the daughter of Monet's second wife, Alice Hoschede.  It is considered by some to be a portrait, but there is obviously no attempt at creating a likeness.  This is a painting of the wind, the land, the air   It is so strong we can almost feel the breeze.
   While the upper two thirds are figure and sky the bottom third is blowing grass.  Pull it up and look close.   Is there a color in the rainbow not depicted?  
   We can see the figure has on a white dress, but Monet paints it in yellow, rose, and blues.   The sun seems to be off to our right so probably late in the day, deepening the colors in the figure's shadow.   
    Monet painted outdoors with a model and here we can see he must be sitting below her, looking up; a very difficult perspective unless you have it in front of you to examine and draw correctly.   Enjoy this beautiful image, Claude Monet at his best.   
   The title of the work is "Study of a Figure Outdoors: Woman with a Parasol Facing Left".  It was completed in 1886 and is a tempera on canvas.   It measures 51.5 inches high and 34.6 inches wide, so is a reasonably large work.   It is part of the permanent collection of the Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France.  
   Make Art a part of your life, It's a beautiful thing to do.  

Comments

  1. Charlotte HarguthMarch 28, 2022 at 9:04 AM

    I love all these similar paintings, but this one is especially fresh, light, and feminine. Every part of it adds to the windy feeling. Painting from his prospective makes it even more inviting. The brush strokes and colors are so skillfully blended. The whole scene is just brought together so beautifully, it makes one want to be there experiencing it with her. The red flower at the waist sets this one apart! (Much more pleasant than the wind we had this week!!)

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