Women in the Garden
Encyclopedia
Women in the Garden is an oil painting begun in 1866 by French artist Claude Monet
when he was 26. It is a large work painted en plein air
; the size of the canvas necessitated Monet painting its upper half with the canvas lowered into a trench he had dug, so that he could maintain a single point of view for the entire work. The setting is the garden of a property he was renting. His companion Camille
posed for the figures. Monet finished the work indoors, and used magazine illustrations to render fashionable clothing.
Monet at this time was early in his career, experimenting with method and subject matter. His previous paintings had met with success at Paris Salon
s, but Women in the Garden was rejected at the 1867 Salon on the grounds of weakness in its subject and narrative. The Salon was also troubled by Monet's visible brushstrokes, a style which would, of course, become one of the hallmarks of Impressionism
. A judge commented, "Too many young people think of nothing but continuing in this abominable direction. It is high time to protect them and save art!" The painting was purchased by fellow artist Frédéric Bazille
to help support Monet at a time when he had no money.
Although the Musée d'Orsay
, the painting's owner, comments that "Monet has skilfully rendered the white of the dresses, anchoring them firmly in the structure of the composition", Christoph Heinrich, author of a Monet biography, notes how posterity has found the painting lacking. In this view, the figures appear poorly integrated into the scene, with the woman at right "gliding across the ground as if she had a trolley concealed beneath her dress". The painting's treatment of light and shadow is lauded, however, and in this respect the work may have shown Monet where his artistic path lay.
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
when he was 26. It is a large work painted en plein air
En plein air
En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and Impressionism...
; the size of the canvas necessitated Monet painting its upper half with the canvas lowered into a trench he had dug, so that he could maintain a single point of view for the entire work. The setting is the garden of a property he was renting. His companion Camille
Camille Doncieux
Camille Doncieux was the first wife of French painter Claude Monet.She modeled for her husband on several occasions, including for the painting Camille, "The Woman in the Green Dress". In addtion to being Monet's favoured model, she also modelled for Pierre-August Renoir and Édouard Manet.Camille...
posed for the figures. Monet finished the work indoors, and used magazine illustrations to render fashionable clothing.
Monet at this time was early in his career, experimenting with method and subject matter. His previous paintings had met with success at Paris Salon
Paris Salon
The Salon , or rarely Paris Salon , beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world...
s, but Women in the Garden was rejected at the 1867 Salon on the grounds of weakness in its subject and narrative. The Salon was also troubled by Monet's visible brushstrokes, a style which would, of course, become one of the hallmarks of Impressionism
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
. A judge commented, "Too many young people think of nothing but continuing in this abominable direction. It is high time to protect them and save art!" The painting was purchased by fellow artist Frédéric Bazille
Frédéric Bazille
Jean Frédéric Bazille was a French Impressionist painter. Many of Bazille's major works are examples of figure painting in which Bazille placed the subject figure within a landscape painted en plein air....
to help support Monet at a time when he had no money.
Although the Musée d'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
, the painting's owner, comments that "Monet has skilfully rendered the white of the dresses, anchoring them firmly in the structure of the composition", Christoph Heinrich, author of a Monet biography, notes how posterity has found the painting lacking. In this view, the figures appear poorly integrated into the scene, with the woman at right "gliding across the ground as if she had a trolley concealed beneath her dress". The painting's treatment of light and shadow is lauded, however, and in this respect the work may have shown Monet where his artistic path lay.