The Umbrellas (Les Parapluies)

The Umbrellas was begun in 1881, abandoned that year, and only returned to and completed in 1885. The figures in the foreground on the right, executed in 1881, are painted in the colorful palette and with the feathery handling of Impressionism. We see an elegantly attired mother, leaning forward slightly and accompanied by her two daughters, and a well-dressed young woman behind her, about to open her umbrella. Renoir's repainting of the canvas four years later led him to rework the two figures on the left: the bare-headed milliner's assistant, carrying her hat box, and the well-dressed man who offers her the protection of his umbrella. It was only at this later stage that Renoir painted the many supporting figures in the background as well as all the umbrellas. By the time The Umbrellas was finished, not only had female fashions changed, but Renoir's style had also developed into the more linear and muted handling associated with his "Ingres" period.