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Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son

Claude Monet
1875

A canvas a metre tall, finished outdoors in a single session. The wind lifts Camille's skirt and veil; their son Jean stands behind the rise. This isn't a posed portrait — it's closer to a snapshot.

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Monet painted this metre-tall canvas outdoors, in one session.

CLAUDE MONET Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son 1875 · National Gallery of Art, Washington

How fast was he?

Patches of bare canvas still show in the sky.

He skipped the details and chased the light:

yellow buttercups in the grass glow on Camille's sleeve.

Unfinished sky, blurred face, and because it was fast, the wind is real.

A slim ivory frame lets the sky run past the edge.

National Gallery of Art, Washington. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon. 1983.1.29. · View the source record