In the countdown to Mother’s Day this Sunday, I am spotlighting two works of art that are unique in the history of art. Recalling a long ago summer afternoon, when not one but two artists, Edouard Manet and Auguste Renoir, immortalized the family of their friend and colleague Claude Monet.
Notice how the poses of Monet’s wife Camille and son Jean are central to each painting. Although in Manet’s version just below, he has added Monet himself, who is gardening in the background.
Edouard Manet, The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil, 1874, oil on canvas, Bequest of Joan Whitney Payson, 1975, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Whereas Renoir has provided us with a closer view of Camille and Jean, although in both cases, Monet’s chickens are featured too.
Do you have a preference? And what about the relationship of mother and child?
Auguste Renoir, Madame Monet and Her Son, 1874, oil on canvas, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil
The Metropolitan Museum of Art does not endorse or approve use of the above image or any of the material on this website. Nor has the Metropolitan Museum of Art participated in any projects utilizing the said image.
In the public domain. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify, and distribute this image even for commercial purposes.
Renoir, Madame Monet and Her Son
In the public domain, courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
The National Gallery of Art does not endorse or approve use of the above image or any of the material on this website. Nor has the National Gallery of Art participated in any projects utilizing the said image.
