Tissot, James (1836-1902)
Matin de printemps (Spring Morning)
c.1875
Oil on canvas, 55.9 x 42.5 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The light on this spring day is so bright that the woman shields her eyes from the glare. She stands with her back to the sun, so that her face and dress are largely in shadow. This contre-jour effect, with the figure lit from behind, was popular with artists in the Impressionist circle in the 1870s and 1880s. Tissot skillfully elaborated on the motif by depicting the sunlight shining through the model’s sleeve and parasol. The strong silhouette of the figure and the prominent plants may have been inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, which Tissot collected, as did his friends Monet and Degas. (MET)