Monet, Claude (1840-1926)
Corbeille de fleurs (Rounded Flower Bed)
1876
Oil on canvas, 59.3 × 81.3 × 1.8 cm
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit
Monet‘s garden at Argenteuil near Paris provided the subject matter for this painting: a flower bed of tall gladioli shimmering in the light. The figure standing under an umbrella is the artist’s wife, Camille, enjoying a leisurely stroll. Rather than being the focal point of the painting, she is merely a figure used to define the space. The flower bed itself dominates the composition. Using thick, short brushstrokes that appear as dabs at close range but synthesize at a distance, and juxtaposing red and pink blossoms against green foliage, Monet simulates the shimmering visual sensations experienced on a hot summer day. (DIA)
See also:
• Argenteuil (France) | Doncieux, Camille (1847-1879)