Claude Monet was a leading artist of the nineteenth-century Impressionist movement. It was actually Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise (1872), which is credited with originating the movement's name. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Monet's various deviations from the norm, such as his use of color, light, and composition, created nontraditional focal points. His early works reveal what we now know as Monet's established style. The painting Woman with a Parasol (1875) and Monet's relationship was not simply that of artist, subject and canvas. The woman was in fact his first wife Camille. It depicts his wife and son beautifully painted on canvas with unique brushwork techniques, use of color, light and composition. Monet often used his family as subjects in his works as an exploration of art, technique, and as an expression of the life that happened around him. Giving the viewer a peek at the world through Monet's eyes. A master of capturing moments in time, with light and color paired with repetitive brushstrokes of vibrant color, it is an undeniable style of Monet's. However, these moments captured on canvas opened the door to the advancement of more current movements such as 20th century modernism. Monet's unique style and brush technique also greatly influenced American artists including William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, and Frank Weston Benson who studied Monet in France and eventually brought the Impressionists' newly learned painting technique back to the United States to create American Impressionism. at first glance what appear to be random, haphazard brushstrokes are actually created strategically with purpose. The left side of the painting has a cluster of clouds which could be seen as a potential distraction. But Monet's skillful strokes make what seems strange, extraordinarily beautiful. Dry brush-like strokes create clouds that dance across the sky with stunning detail and realism. Perhaps this is proof that Monet was more interested in light and color than line or shape. Monet's use of living subjects outdoors in natural light while having common experiences of everyday life, gave way to an undeniable Monet style. Oil paintings, painted directly on canvas outdoors and in the subject's natural light, were not a common practice among artists of the time. Although Monet began paintings outside, he usually finished the work in his studio. Woman with a Parasol shows Monet as a skilled colorist who combines natural light to create a story that radiates passion and life. The reflections on the woman's dress clearly determine the direction of the sunlight, as do the white top of the parasol and the yellow reflections of the daisies. Likewise hints of yellow in grass are seen as reflections of light. The touches of yellow give the impression of flickering yellow reflections on her white dress coming from the flowers under her feet. Monet did not literally paint each blade, but merely suggested blowing the green grass with brushstrokes of bright colors and shades to create depth. These traits indicate a strong impressionist style. A style that is expressed through the use of unique colors and techniques. Let's also look at the clever use of shadows. The shadow of the parasol helps to clearly define the center of this composition as the viewer's eye easily flows from the dark green under the parasol to the shadows beneath her flowing dress. The shadow on his face and on the left side of thepainted creates the perfect balance that helps ground the high-contrast blue sky. Subtle color variations with brushstrokes of other colors that appear dark from a distance, but are actually made up of many other color variations. Monet never used black, but it was the color variation that gave the illusion of black or darkness in the shadow. Monet captures the natural light of the moment from a unique low angel perspective that captivates the viewer and draws us in to have an intimate, close-up look. This composition gives the viewer the perfect vision of the wind blowing gently across an open landscape as the veil blows across her face. The position of the subjects looking towards the viewer (or Monet the painter) helps to create an extraordinary personality. The low horizon lines dominate the blue sky and the curved lines in the dress lead the viewer from the sky to the green grass below. The guy standing below the horizon line creates depth and places the woman higher on the hill. Even the curved lines in the clouds, clothes and grass create a calming peaceful energy. It is also important to note that Monet's success as an impressionist lay in his ability to paint the world as he saw it. Knowing the relationship between Monet and the circumstances under which he may have painted “Woman with a Parasol” leads to some very interesting conclusions. One of which is the depression and stress due to the financial difficulties Monet experienced while creating this masterpiece. Shortly after the birth of his son Jean in 1868, Monet attempted suicide. A few years later his beloved wife Camille fell ill and died during pregnancy. This set of circumstances opens our eyes to a new experience when we observe Monet's paintings through the struggles of this great impressionist. There are some very interesting hints about the symbolism used by Monet which could allude to some of the circumstances that certainly could have consumed him at the time. The choice to use the family as the subject on this sunny day may suggest that Monet wanted to capture a precious moment in time that may be fleeting. Truly capturing the essence of quality family time is no easy task even with today's technological advancements. Notice how Monet's wife holds the parasol to protect herself from the sun, it could be a symbol of status or even protection. Why the veil? Is he also protecting her from something or is he hiding something? The viewer should also notice the soft colors such as the pink in her dress or the red and green in her son's hat. What do these soft colors do for the painting? Would the painting be different without these subtleties? Could the light color of her dress, which looks a lot like a wedding dress, be the symbol of purity? Set in one of the most romantic and picturesque places in the world, Monet uses the beautiful landscape of a Parisian suburb to tell a story of love and adoration as he captures a "snapshot" of his loving wife and young son as they stroll. At this moment it seems like we glimpse someone looking at Camille in adoration. It is as if Monet was commemorating his wife before her illness and death. Landscapes were one of Monet's favorite subjects. He grew up in the French countryside and knew its beauty quite well. He often used the relationships between nature and the current events of his life to symbolically paint a hidden narrative. The Woman with the Parasol is actually a spontaneously taken family portrait, which is very different from the traditional family portraits of the time. A portrait in everyday life seems to be the theme of this masterpiece. The high contrast of soft colors, light and texture.