''Women in the Garden'' (French: ''Femmes au jardin'') is an oil painting begun in 1866 by French artist
Claude Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...
when he was 26. It is a large work painted ''
en plein air
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
''; the size of the canvas necessitated Monet painting its upper half with the canvas lowered into a trench he had dug, so that he could maintain a single point of view for the entire work. The setting is the garden of a property he was renting. His companion and future wife Camille Doncieux posed for the figures. Monet finished the work indoors, and used magazine illustrations to render fashionable clothing.
Monet at this time was early in his career, experimenting with method and subject matter. His earlier paintings were successful at Paris Salons, but ''Women in the Garden'' was rejected in 1867 on the grounds of subject and narrative weakness. The Salon was also troubled by Monet's heavy brushstrokes, a style which would, of course, become one of the hallmarks of
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
. A judge commented, "Too many young people think of nothing but continuing in this abominable direction. It is high time to protect them and save art!"Quoted i Musee_d'Orsay:_Claude_Monet,_Women_in_the_Garden.html" ;"title=" "">Musee d'Orsay: Claude Monet, Women in the Garden"> "">Musee d'Orsay: Claude Monet, Women in the Garden Accessed March 3, 2010. The painting was purchased by fellow artist Frédéric Bazille to help support Monet at a time when he had no money.
Although the Musée d'Orsay, the painting's owner, comments that "Monet has skilfully rendered the white of the dresses, anchoring them firmly in the structure of the composition", Christoph Heinrich, author of a Monet biography, notes how posterity has found the painting lacking. In this view, the figures appear poorly integrated into the scene, with the woman at right "gliding across the ground as if she had a trolley concealed beneath her dress".Christoph Heinrich (2000). ''Claude Monet, 1840–1926''.
Taschen
Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen.
History
The company began as Taschen Comics, ...
; p. 17. The painting's treatment of light and shadow is lauded, however, and in this respect the work may have shown Monet where his artistic path lay.