Etching printed on wove paper, 1858
Made in Paris in the summer of 1858 before Whistler’s trip to the Rhine. The identity of the woman with the parasol is not known, but she was presumably no stranger to Whistler. His first biographers tell of at least one trip to the country with friends of both sexes, during which Whistler painted a female companion. The feeling of sunshine and fresh air is in line with the growing tradition of plein air (open air) painting in France; in the same year, the young Claude Monet was encouraged to paint out of doors by the painter Eugène Boudin.
Bequeathed by G. J. F. Knowles 1959
Collections record: P.78-1959
