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
Robert Reid, The White Parasol, ca. 1907, oil on canvas, 3630 in. (91.476.2 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
Dimensions
3630 in. (91.476.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of William T. Evans
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Dress — accessory — umbrella
  • Landscape — garden
  • Figure female — knee length
  • Occupation — domestic — gathering
  • Landscape — plant — lily
Object Number
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.

Works by this artist (4 items)

Robert Reid, The White Parasol, ca. 1907, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.57
The White Parasol
Dateca. 1907
oil on canvas
On view
Robert Reid, The Violet Kimono, ca. 1910, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.88
The Violet Kimono
Dateca. 1910
oil on canvas
On view
Robert Reid, The Mirror, ca. 1910, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1911.2.4
The Mirror
Dateca. 1910
oil on canvas
Not on view
Robert Reid, The Bathers, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. F.M. Wigmore in memory of her husband, Francis Marion Wigmore, 1954.7.1
The Bathers
Daten.d.
oil on canvas
Not on view