Giverny · 1886 · two open-air figures
Monet's Woman with an Umbrella: Suzanne Hoschedé, the wind and the backlight
Two almost twin silhouettes, a very low point of view and a light that dissolves the face: Monet transforms the portrait into an experience of air, color and movement.
A documented guide to distinguishing the right and left versions of the Musée d'Orsay, understanding their model and no longer confusing them with the famous promenade of 1875.
Before reading the table
"The Woman with the Umbrella" actually refers to three often mixed images
The current title The Woman with the Umbrella may refer to several works by Claude Monet. The most famous is The Walk, woman with the parasol, painted in 1875 and kept at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. It represents Camille Monet with their son Jean. Eleven years later, Monet took up the idea of a standing figure seen from below, but this time he painted two large pendants: one facing right, the other towards the left.
The two paintings from 1886 bear the institutional title Outdoor figure test. This word "essay" is decisive. Monet is not looking for a worldly portrait responsible for describing a face, a social rank or a psychology. It tests how a person, a light dress, an umbrella, grass, clouds and wind can belong to the same luminous phenomenon.
Notices from the Musée d'Orsay identify the model as Suzanne Hoschedé, born in 1868, daughter of Alice Hoschedé. She was around eighteen when Monet painted her. Her identity counts for the history of the work, but the painting deliberately reduces individual signs: the face remains against the light, the contours vibrate and the movement of the garment takes on as much importance as the person.
An identified model
Suzanne Hoschedé appears in the official indexing of the two notices from the Musée d'Orsay.
An imposing format
Nearly 131 cm high: the silhouette has a physical presence, despite the erasure of its face.
A pair search
Right and left are not simple inverted copies: they modify the wind, balance and distribution of the sky.
Suzanne Hoschedé, not Camille
A family presence that has become a painting instrument
Portrait fades in front of atmosphere
Suzanne belongs to the blended family that surrounds Monet in Giverny. The Monet Foundation recalls that the painter moved there with his family in April 1883. Three years later, these studies are therefore linked to a daily environment, but they do not tell of a spontaneous walk in the photographic sense.
The model poses. The dress, hat and parasol make up a clear architecture around which Monet can observe the changes in the sky. The face is deliberately difficult to read: placed under the hat and on the side opposite the light, it prevents the gaze from stopping on a specific resemblance.
This tension makes the modernity of the painting. Suzanne is at the same time a real person, a volume in space and a surface crossed by reflections. The blues of the sky enter the dress; the greens of the grass rise towards the hem; the shadows are never black but colorful.
Two pendants from the Musée d'Orsay
Right and left: same general dimensions, two distinct balances
The museum's notices allow the works to be precisely separated. Both are oils on canvas dated and signed from 1886, remaining in Michel Monet's collection until their donation to the State in 1927. They entered the Musée d'Orsay in 1986 after their passage through the Louvre then the Jeu de Paume.
| Element | Turned to the right | Turned to the left | What that changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inventory | RF 2620 | RF 2621 | Two autonomous works, not two sides of the same canvas. |
| Dimensions | 130.5 × 89.3 cm | 131 × 88.7 cm | Almost identical proportions that reinforce the idea of a pair. |
| Signature | Bottom right | Bottom left | Signature accompanies figure orientation and visual balance. |
| Attitude | Body more frontal, face turned | More lateral silhouette | The right seems more stable; the left more carried away by the movement. |
| Hanging | May vary, currently not exposed according to the instructions | Location indicated by Orsay, subject to change | Always check the official instructions before a visit. |
A look placed in the grass
The low point of view transforms Suzanne into an atmospheric apparition
Monet virtually places the viewer below the model. The horizon line descends, the meadow occupies the base and the sky invades most of the format. This low angle enlarges the figure without making it solemn: the wind immediately unbalances what could be monumental about verticality.
The Umbrella Diagonal
The handle, arm and edge of the umbrella create an oblique axis that responds to the inclination of the body.
The sky as an active background
Clouds do not form a still setting. Their quick touches prolong the movement of the dress and the veil.
A figure cut closely
The silhouette fills the frame; Monet renounces the vast landscape to study the envelope of air around the body.
A secondary face
Backlighting reduces detail. Visual identity comes from attitude, clothing and light, not facial portraiture.
The figure does not stand out from the landscape: it becomes the place where the sky, the wind and the grass change color.
Formal reading of the two pendants from 1886Backlight, wind, visible touches
The white of the dress is made up of blue, pink, green and yellow
From a distance, the dress appears white. Up close, this white almost never exists alone. Monet modulates it with cold blues from the sky, illuminated cream tones, discreet pinks and green reflections from the meadow. Color does not fill a pre-established design: each touch participates in the construction of volume and air.
Six details to look at before the subject
The edge of the umbrella alternates sharpness and vibration. The veil makes the wind visible. The sleeves take back the blues of the sky. The hem mixes with herbs. The clouds set the tempo of the key. The face, finally, stay in the shadows to prevent too descriptive reading.
In a reproduction, success therefore depends less on pure white than on the variety of its shades. A uniformly white coat appears flat; a sky that is too cyan becomes harsh; too saturated greens cut the figure of its environment.
The Promenade of 1875
Why the version with Camille and Jean is not the same picture
A visual memory taken up eleven years later
The National Gallery of Art clearly identifies Camille, wife of Monet, and their son Jean. The painting measures 100 × 81 cm, a more compact format than the large figures of Orsay. The museum specifies that it was completed during a single outdoor session: speed is visible in the areas of canvas left open, the clouds chopped and the shards of white.
The similarities are obvious: low angle, green umbrella, dominant sky, light dress and wind. The differences are just as obvious. In 1875, Jean introduced a small family narrative and additional depth. In 1886, Monet isolated Suzanne, enlarged the format and produced two complementary responses. In 1886, Monet isolated Suzanne, enlarged the format and produced two complementary responses. The scene becomes more experimental and less anecdotal.
It is therefore better to use full titles. La Promenade, woman with umbrella - Madame Monet and her son for 1875; Outdoor figure test: Woman with umbrella facing right or to the left for 1886.
Five active products verified
Choose between the two counterparts and their close cousins
Each link leads to an active product in the store. Images allow you to compare movement, color dominance and human presence before choosing a format.
Turned to the right
A more frontal silhouette and stable balance, ideal for a narrow wall where verticality must remain bright.
See the work →Turned to the left
A more oblique posture and a reinforced impression of wind. Its movement can visually open a wall composition.
See the work →The Promenade
The most narrative and familiar version, with a deeper horizon and the presence of young Jean Monet.
See the work →
Women in the garden
Several light dresses distribute the light in a built garden, for a less solitary and more decorative presence.
See the work →
Camille in a green dress
A more drawn figure, a dark interior and theatrical elegance: the ideal counterpoint to the 1886 outdoors.
See the work →Explore the store
Six important collections around Monet and the impressionist portrait
Quantities were verified in the catalog on July 14, 2026.
Claude Monet
Figures, gardens, cliffs, stations, millstones and light series by the painter.
5,060 worksImpressionist
Compare Monet's research to that of Renoir, Degas, Morisot and Pissarro.
572 worksMusée d'Orsay
Find the great masterpieces preserved in the French national collections.
1,679 worksFamous paintings
Iconic images to compare by format, color and presence.
72 worksImpressionist portraits
Faces and figures captured by light, gesture and modern life.
392 worksPaints for living room
Compositions capable of creating a focal point without darkening the main room.
Institutional sources
Four notices to verify identity, formats and timeline
The factual information in this guide is primarily based on the museums that preserve the works and on the Monet Foundation.
Version facing right
Date, dimensions, provenance, signature, model and hanging situation of the work.
Musée d'Orsay · RF 2621Left-facing version
Official notice of the counterpart, with dimensions, gift from 1927 and identification by Suzanne Hoschedé.
National Gallery of Art · 1875Madame Monet and her son
The reference to distinguish Camille and Jean from the two studies painted eleven years later.
Monet · Giverny FoundationThe 1883 installation
Family and geographical context of Monet's life in Giverny before the figures of 1886.
Ten specific answers
Frequently asked questions about Monet's The Woman with the Umbrella
Who is the woman depicted in the 1886 paintings?
The Musée d'Orsay identifies Suzanne Hoschedé, daughter of Alice Hoschedé. She was around eighteen years old when Monet performed the two figures outdoors.
Why are we confusing Suzanne Hoschedé and Camille Monet?
Because Monet had already painted Camille with an umbrella in 1875. The low-angle composition and the light dress are similar, but the model, date, format and number of versions differ.
How many Women in Monet's Umbrella are there?
Several works use this motif. The three most famous are the promenade of 1875 with Camille and Jean, then the two pendants of 1886 facing right and left.
Where are the two versions from 1886 kept?
They both belong to the Musée d'Orsay. Their presence in the room may change depending on the hanging or loans; consult the instructions before your visit.
What are their dimensions?
The right-facing version measures 130.5 × 89.3 cm; the one facing left 131 × 88.7 cm.
Why does Monet paint two orientations?
Both paintings function as pendants. The inversion of posture allows him to vary the balance between the figure, the umbrella, the wind and the masses of clouds.
What does "outdoor figure test" mean?
The title highlights research: Monet studies less of a psychological portrait than the integration of a human figure into the external light and atmosphere.
Was the 1875 version painted quickly?
Yes. The National Gallery of Art says it was done in a single outdoor session, with a quick touch and some canvas areas left visible.
Which version to choose for reproduction?
The right seems more stable, the left more dynamic, and the 1875 version more narrative. In any case, keep the vertical format and colorful shades of the white dress.
What colors should be checked on a reproduction?
The sky should not be uniformly blue, the coat should contain bluish grays, creams and green highlights, and shadows should remain colored rather than black.
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