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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