Pierre-Auguste Renoir: The Umbrellas (Les Parapluies)

The Umbrellas

(Les Parapluies)

1883

Information about painting

Dimensions:	115 x 180 cm
Type:	Oil on canvas
Location:	The National Gallery, London, UK
Shop:	Buy oil on canvas handmade reproduction

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Les Parapluies/Umbrellas

The right hand side of the picture is painted softly in Renoirs familiar style. Then, after a gap of many months in which he absorbed new influences of form and structure(Cezanne for example) he painted the girl on the left. High definition! I was amazed when I first learned this in an Art History lecture.

Posted by artlover on 04. June 2014. at 01:23

Renoir - Les Parapluies

When I was a child (over forty years ago), this painting used to hang in the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin, and my mother used to take me to see it.

She told me that the main figure was a milliner’s assistant, carrying a milliner’s basket, who was probably out on an errand delivering a hat to a wealthy customer. The basket is closed with a black lacquered lid, to protect the hat, and the girl’s hand is reflected in the shiny black of its lacquered cover.

While all the other figures in the painting wear hats, the assistant, a mere shop-girl, wears none, nor does she carry an umbrella to protect her from the rain. Her dress is drab and unadorned in dramatic contrast with the elegant finery of the other figures, who all clearly come from a much higher social strata.

Yet she is the beauty and the main focus of the painting. She has just caught the attention of the man immediately behind her, who may be Renoir himself, the likeness is not dissimilar, and looks away modestly from his gaze.

In the painting, Renoir captures the moment, by putting us, the viewer, right in the middle of the scene, focusing our attention on the girl with the downward sweep of the opened and half opened umbrellas.

This account has always framed my understanding of the picture and made it live for me as one of my favourite paintings.

Patricia McGoldrick

Posted by Patricia McGoldrick on 05. February 2012. at 10:00

natural

not for analysis. just a miracle. loving it twenty years now and forever.

Posted by Nikos on 28. November 2011. at 16:36

its ok but its not very undetailed

Posted by joe on 20. November 2011. at 04:55

nothing

i have to study this

Posted by henry on 05. June 2011. at 07:57

very nice

this painting is very interesting and has a gloomy but jazzy kind of feel to it. For example, every umbrella is blue. I am doing an interpretation of this painting and would like to know what was the inspiration of it. Was there an inspiration? Thank-you.

Posted by Dana on 22. February 2011. at 16:16

The Umbrellas

Definitely my favourite. I love all the blues.

Posted by Diana on 15. February 2011. at 23:10

*unique*

Posted by Claire on 12. February 2009. at 15:46

This is defo my favourite Renoir painting............i love the divide in the styles of painting.....................it makes the painting as a whole .............quite.......... unigue........!!!..:D:P

Posted by Claire on 12. February 2009. at 15:00

the umbrellas

the umbrellas is really good and it has got lots of colourful colours in the painting.

Posted by jasmine on 19. January 2009. at 12:20

Yes, I did know that, BITCH!

Posted by Anna on 12. May 2008. at 11:21

lovin the painting

omg i am only 9 and i love this painting it is relly nice my mum and mee was trying to buy one as me and my mum love this great nice beauty work of renoirs

Posted by sadie whiting on 05. March 2008. at 08:41

ewww:)

Posted by nicole on 03. September 2007. at 07:01

I LOVE THIS

I am only 12 years old and I love this painting. I heard that he decided to use a more modern art in the middle of the picture. I think it reflects in the servant because her texture is so different. I love how she stands out from everyone else, without looking concieted. I also love how the man is admiring her from behind. I think it shows that even a servant has the beauy of a dove.

Posted by Camaya Brown on 29. June 2007. at 19:50

Umbrellas

This is really nice! i like the colours.

Posted by Nicole on 31. May 2007. at 01:31

A mix of TWO art styles...

Did you know that Renoir decided not to do Impressionism and changed to a more modern style just in the middle of this painting? ^^

Posted by Liz on 17. May 2007. at 18:45

question

umm. what other information do you have in this painting?

Posted by bettina on 03. April 2007. at 00:57

Really Nice!!

I love this painting. Its so different from Renoirs early work, with straight lines and smooth brushstrokes.

Posted by Ariane on 29. January 2007. at 22:42

great

this is a greatpeace of art, so good that i am even studing it for art and design!

Posted by Natasha on 08. November 2006. at 07:08

Umbrellas

I like the softness of this painting. I think the focal point is the little girl with the basket. Though he uses darkness in this painting it has a nice airy freshness to it.

Posted by Jess on 15. May 2006. at 18:30

I am amazed to all of his works, and umbrellas is one of them. His talent was so huge that he had done a lot of beatiful paintings.

Posted by Deinice on 02. May 2006. at 10:21

ummmm!!!

BLUE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Nathan on 14. March 2006. at 11:01

Malcolm Farley

This paintings cool. I dont see what makes it so amazing though. Dude yall need to look at some Malcolm Farley paintings. OMG i love his work. Hes like one of my fav. artists. His paintings are sweeet

Posted by natalie on 06. February 2006. at 11:40

the umbrellas

This picture is wonderful. The way the colours stand out is just amazing. I especially like the little girl in the front of the picture.

Posted by sitara on 02. February 2006. at 06:56

This painting is in the National Gallery in Dublin, Ireland at the moment. And has been in Dublin for the last 6 years. Its due to go back to London for a 6 year period soon and then will come back here again etc.

Posted by donald on 29. January 2006. at 08:01

This is a beautiful painting, I love it. I like the composition, the way he painted it.
Renoir has beautiful paintings, and this is one of them.

Posted by Sandra on 22. December 2005. at 13:06

umbrellas

i think its nice because it shows how is the life. its an original paint.
the poeple would be sourpride with this paint.

Posted by paul on 16. August 2005. at 08:20

Umbrellas

I found a original Print made By Renoir of this canvas
It turned out to be the lost one during a estate sale , The one with the stained frame.

Posted by dittrich on 25. May 2005. at 16:25

nice

i liked it. he can do alot better its not one of my best paintings. he did a nice job

Posted by mwah on 11. May 2005. at 13:57

The Look

The look of the girl with the basket really intrigued me. Instinct tells me she is young, single, crave for attention. The way she dress is so simple.

Posted by Stephanie on 30. December 2004. at 23:19

Pretty

This is a really pretty piece that Auguste Renoir had painted. It shows how they dressed.

Posted by Becca on 29. November 2004. at 04:14

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Pierre-Auguste Renoir Paintings Gallery

The Umbrellas

(Les Parapluies)

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