Other paintings with similar compositions

Madame Monet and child

With all this in mind - let us start with a painting from 1875: ‘Mme Monet and child’, 55x66, (W 382). The scene is much the same. She is sitting turned against us in the same way. The ‘outline’ of the skirt goes directly to her eyes. The child plays the same part as the table in our painting, giving balance to the composition. If we cover them up with a piece of paper, we understand their importance. Our eyes cannot focus on anything, and will start to wander about.

Before leaving this painting we simply have to check the central point of it – could it possibly be the needle that is the very heart and focus? Yes it is – exactly! Again we notice: Nothing was left to accident in the Monet laboratory…

Camille au métier

The next painting: ‘Camille au métier’, (W.366, 65x55, The Barnes Foundation of Art, Pennsylvania), is even more close to our 'Au Métier'-scene. We see Camille from the same angle. The ‘outlines’ are similar. In addition, we even have the oval shape of our garden table, that we recognise in the flower pot. Compare also the leaves and the branches behind her. In this painting we find the needle exactly in the centre vertical line but above the horizontal.

In these paintings we have another exciting detail to study.

In the two paintings with Alice Hoschedé in the garden, (W.680 & 681), we find the same table! Here the leg of the table creates a line together with her hands towards her eyes. In the first version to the right, (W.681), there is no cloth on the table. In the second, a cloth has appeared, just like in our painting. The chair she is sitting on is nearly invisible. Instead we have the trunk creating a curve, and a stop for our eyes, to slip out over the left edge. It plays the same part as the curve of the chair, and the branches in our ‘Garden scene’.