Women in the Garden 255×205 cm 1866

Detail of Women in the Garden 255×205 cm, 1866. Following his masterpiece A Luncheon on the Grass, Monet completed another major work, Women in the Garden. The noble lady is dressed in splendid attire, leisurely bathing in the bright garden.

Monet’s depiction of these figures and faces within the shadows is quite distinctive; this painting technique seems to mock the artistic rules of the time. With bold, concise forms and bright color fields, we see a fresh image—a comfortable, leisurely French lifestyle sung in praise of the sun. Under strong contrasting light, Monet fearlessly divides the figures into two, fully mastering the shadows while capturing the bright light.