The Red Kerchief

c. 1868–73

The Red Kerchief, c. 1868–73. Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). Oil on fabric; framed: 128.3 x 105.7 x 14.6 cm (50 1/2 x 41 5/8 x 5 3/4 in.); unframed: 99 x 79.8 cm (39 x 31 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. 1958.39 This painting depicts Monet's first wife, Camille, outside on a snowy day passing by the French doors of their home at Argenteuil. Her face is rendered in a radically bold Impressionist technique of mere daubs of paint quickly applied, just as the snow and trees are defined by broad, broken strokes of pure white and green. Madame Monet’s red cape draws the viewer’s attention beyond the glass of the French doors capturing her glance, a brief moment frozen in time. This painting was very special to Monet and he kept it with him for his entire life.