Woman with a parasol . Monet.

Study of a Figure Outdoors: Woman with a Parasol

In the summer of 1886, Monet created Woman with a Parasol. It was made in Ile aux Orties, a Little island closet to the Epte river.

After a painting session, Monet saw his favorite model, Suzanne, standing in a dam against the sky and he asked her to meet him there the following day so she could pose for him.

Suzanne was forced to pose for hours while she was fainting from exhaustion. She was eighteen years old when Monet painted her and she wasn’t married yet, she was more of a girl than a woman. The traditional title was inspired by the memories of Camille, his wife.

Monet believed that the first impression of a motif was the most honest, the less blurred by imagination and prejudice. The interest in this way of looking unadjusted to conventions, allowed Monet to study very carefully lighting effects. The motive is not what it is, but what light makes of it.

The woman is standing on a promontory and the artist sees her from below, cutting its silhouette against a cloudy background. She holds a green umbrella that casts a shadow over her white dress, with the traditional colors for shadows used in the Impressionism. Strong sunlight accentuates the colorful flowers and grass land. Monet uses a quick brushwork.

Femininity and delicacy of the woman who has been featured in the painting is emphasized. Bright colors are used and are actually suitable for the subject of the painting. The elements are arranged in golden section.

A dynamic sense of movement is created in this painting, making our eye see it in a circular direction along the breeze.

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