Claude Monet : “Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son” (1875)

Monet and his wife once fled Paris to escape their creditors. Their son Jean — seven years-old in this painting — became seriously ill due to their inability pay for his medical treatment. After the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War they sought refuge in England and the Netherlands.

By 1875, however, their fortunes had changed. They had returned to France, renting a house in Argenteuil, a suburb northwest of Paris. Monet had met the art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel in London, and through him their finances were growing. In Argenteuil he was embarked upon one of the most formative creative periods of his life, gaining new insights into the effects of light and color on objects, and the juxtaposition of colors with each other.

Also known as The Stroll, Woman with Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son was conceived as a genre painting, rather than a portrait, depicting a mother and son on a summer’s outing. Here, Monet’s calligraphic brushwork and advanced color theory combine to create a flawless impression of a bright and windy day, made all the more remarkable by the fact that the entire scene was probably captured in a single plein air session of just a few hours.

Monet once said that he liked to paint “as the bird sings.” This is one of his high notes.