Woman with a Parasol in a Garden

This painting is so summerish that I had to feature it somewhere in August. In Woman with a Parasol in a Garden, Renoir's language is wholly impressionistic.  In a setting lacking a visible horizon, the flowers and shrubs are created with tiny dabs of color, providing a constant interweaving of textures around the two small figures. The woman, whose parasol shades her from the sun, stands close to the man as he leans down, perhaps to pick a flower, hinting at an intimate relationship. 

Contrary to what one may think, this canvas was not painted in the countryside but in the garden of Renoir's new studio in Montmartre. His friend George Rivière recalled: "As soon as Renoir entered the house, he was charmed by the view of this garden, which looked like a beautiful abandoned park."

P.S. This painting is one of our DailyArt Magazine writers' favorites. See other stunning Impressionist paintings here! <3