Woman with Parasol

Literature

Léon Richet was born in Solesmes (Sathe), Normandy in 1847. He was a student of Narcisse Virgile Diaz de La Pena (1807/9-1876), Charles Victor Eugéne Lefébvre (1805-1882) and Louis Jean Boulanger (1806/7-1867). Richet began exhibiting in the Paris Salons in 1869, and at the Salon of 1885, where he was awarded an honorable mention, while in the Salons of 1888 and 1901, he was awarded a second place medal. Richet is best known for his verdant landscapes, especially of the forest of Fontainebleau. He traveled extensively and painted the countrysides of Auvergne and Picardie, as well as seascapes in Tréport. He even traveled to Guéret and Belgium.

His works reflect his preoccupation with nature and the effects of light; his profound influence was strongly felt by his fellow members of the Barbizon school. Richet died in Paris on May 26, 1907. His paintings are present in the collections of the Musée d’Orsay and Musée des Beaux-Arts de Reims

This painting by Richet features a young woman with a parasol walking with her small dog. Richet’s lighting suggests a spring or summer afternoon. The light colors in the young woman’s clothes, a striking contrast with the dark green foliage in the background, offer the viewer a balanced approach to both color and form.