outdoor Archives

On the Heights (circa 1909)

Charles Courtney Curran (American, 1861–1942)

Sunlight dapples through the trees, casting soft shadows on the grassy slope. A breeze rustles the leaves, carrying the scent of wildflowers. Two figures pause on the hilltop, their silhouettes small against the vast, glowing sky. The world stretches out below, bathed in golden afternoon warmth.
Rest along the Stream. Edge of the Wood (1878)

Alfred Sisley (French, 1839–1899)

Dappled light filters through the trees, casting rippling reflections on the stream’s surface. A quiet path winds into the woods, where leaves whisper in the breeze. The water moves lazily, undisturbed—just a fleeting pause in nature’s rhythm.
Madame Manet (Suzanne Leenhoff, 1829–1906) at Bellevue (1880)

Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883)

A woman sits in dappled sunlight, her white dress pooling around her. The parasol rests beside her, forgotten. Shadows play across her face—neither smiling nor solemn, just present. Beyond her, the world blurs into loose brushstrokes, as if reality itself might dissolve at any moment.
Summer (1890)

Frank Weston Benson (American, 1862–1951)

Sunlight dapples through the trees as a woman in white lounges on the grass, her hat tipped back. The breeze carries the scent of warm earth and crushed stems. Nearby, another figure bends to gather flowers, their skirts brushing against the long summer grass. Lazy afternoon light pools around them.
Baigneuses (1892)

Berthe Morisot (French, 1841–1895)

Two women wade in shallow water, their dresses clinging to their limbs. Sunlight dapples the surface, blurring the line between reflection and skin. A breeze stirs the reeds; their laughter hangs just beyond the canvas.
A Woman Seated at a Bench on the Avenue du Bois (1885)

Berthe Morisot (French, 1841–1895)

A woman in a flowing dress sits alone on a bench, dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. The broad avenue stretches behind her, alive with the blur of passing carriages and distant strollers. Her stillness anchors the scene, a quiet figure amid the bustling Parisian promenade.
Under the orange tree

Virginie Demont-Breton (French, 1859–1935)

A woman sits beneath the gnarled branches of an orange tree, sunlight dappling her dress. The fruit hangs heavy, their scent mingling with warm earth. She leans slightly, as if listening to the leaves whisper—a quiet moment suspended between shade and gold.
On the Stile (1878)

Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)

A girl pauses on the wooden stile, her dress catching the breeze. The fields stretch beyond her, golden and endless. For a moment, she’s neither here nor there—just balanced between two worlds, one foot still lingering in childhood.
Parterre fleuri

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau (French, 1864–1930)

A burst of flowers spills across the garden, their colors vibrant against the soft earth. The scene hums with quiet energy, as if the petals might tremble in the next breeze. Light lingers between the blooms, inviting you to step closer and lose yourself in their untamed beauty.