Woman Seated on a Bench

The sitter, who was once thought to be Monet's first wife Camille, whom he married in 1870, was in fact a professional model who also posed for other artists, including Degas. This work was probably painted in the summer at Argenteuil. The very free handling of the paint may reflect the influence of Edouard Manet, who was working alongside Monet at the time.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

painting by Claude-Oscar Monet (Museum: National Gallery)