The White Parasol

Robert Reid, The White Parasol, ca. 1907, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.57
Copied Robert Reid, The White Parasol, ca. 1907, oil on canvas, 36 x 30 in. (91.4 x 76.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.57
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Artwork Details

Title
The White Parasol
Artist
Date
ca. 1907
Location
Dimensions
36 x 30 in. (91.4 x 76.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of William T. Evans
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — plant — lily
  • Occupation — domestic — gathering
  • Figure female — knee length
  • Landscape — garden
  • Dress — accessory — umbrella
Object Number
1909.7.57
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1909.7.57

Artwork Description

This painting shows Robert Reid’s young wife, Elizabeth Reeves, in the year of their wedding. Reid painted Elizabeth in a white gown surrounded by many different colored flowers to emphasize her flawless porcelain skin. Their marriage lasted only a few years, and here the delicate colors and idealized setting suggest the optimism of young love. Reid's many paintings of girls immersed in nature emphasize the fragility and beauty of women, as if he equated them with the flowers, trees, and clouds.