Ever looked at a photo from five years ago and cringed? Not because of a bad haircut, but because you were just a totally different person back then? That’s basically what happened to Pierre-Auguste Renoir when he was working on Auguste Renoir The Umbrellas.
Most people walk past this massive canvas in London’s National Gallery and see a charming, rainy day in Paris. It’s got everything you’d expect from a French masterpiece: fashion, bustling crowds, and those iconic blue umbrellas. But if you stop and really look—I mean, really lean in—you’ll notice something weird. The left side of the painting doesn't match the right side.
It’s not a mistake. It’s a full-blown identity crisis caught in oil paint.
The Four-Year Gap That Changed Everything
Renoir started this thing around 1881. At that point, he was the king of Impressionism. He loved that soft, "feathery" look where everything feels like it’s glowing from the inside. If you look at the mother and her two daughters on the right side of the canvas, you see that classic Renoir magic. Their faces are soft. The colors are warm and luminous. You can almost feel the texture of the velvet and lace.
Then, he just... stopped.
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He went off to Italy. He saw the works of Raphael and the Renaissance masters. He suddenly decided that Impressionism was "a dead end." He felt like he didn't know how to draw or paint anymore. So, when he came back to finish Auguste Renoir The Umbrellas around 1885, he was a changed man.
The young woman on the far left, the milliner’s assistant (or midinette), is the proof. Look at her dress. The lines are sharp. The edges are hard. Her face has a solid, three-dimensional quality that looks nothing like the blurry, dreamy girls on the right. It’s almost like two different artists collaborated on the same piece, except it was just one guy who had a massive change of heart midway through.
The Fashion Police of 19th-Century Paris
If you aren't an art historian, you might miss the biggest "tell" in the painting: the clothes. Renoir was obsessed with fashion. He knew exactly what was "in" and what was "so last season."
- The Right Side (1881): The mother and her kids are wearing clothes that were peak fashion in 1881. Think frills, lace, and those elaborate hats that look like they belong at a royal wedding.
- The Left Side (1885): The girl with the bandbox is wearing a much simpler, more severe dress. This style didn't even exist when Renoir started the painting.
- The Hat Mystery: X-rays of the painting show that the girl on the left originally had a hat with frills, just like the others. But by 1885, that look was "out." Renoir literally painted over her hat and gave her that smooth, bare-headed look to keep up with the times.
Why the Blues Look Different
The umbrellas themselves are a structural masterpiece. They create this rhythmic, geometric canopy across the top of the frame. But even the paint he used changed.
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Technical analysis from the National Gallery shows that for the first batch of painting, Renoir used cobalt blue—his go-to for years. When he came back to finish it, he switched to French ultramarine. This newer blue has a grittier, slate-grey tone. It’s what gives the umbrellas that heavy, metallic feel of a real rainy day in the city.
The contrast is wild. You have the sunny, yellowish "zinc yellow" from the early 1880s clashing with the more muted "Naples yellow" he used later. Honestly, it shouldn't work. The painting is a mess of styles. And yet, it’s one of the most beloved pieces in the world.
Who Are These People?
There’s a lot of speculation about the models. The girl on the left is often identified as Suzanne Valadon. She was a powerhouse in her own right—a model for all the greats (Degas, Lautrec, Renoir) who eventually became a brilliant painter herself.
Notice the guy behind her. He’s leaning in, maybe offering his umbrella, maybe just being a bit of a "gallant" as they called it back then. She doesn't seem to care. She’s looking straight at us. She looks tired. She’s carrying a bandbox (a hat box), which means she’s working. While the family on the right represents the wealthy middle class out for a stroll, she represents the working-class grind.
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What This Means for Your Living Room
You don't need a PhD to appreciate the "awkwardness" of this painting. In fact, that's why it's so human. It’s a record of a man growing up and changing his mind.
If you’re looking to bring some of that Renoir energy into your own life or decor, keep these insights in mind:
- Embrace the Contrast: Don't be afraid to mix "soft" and "hard" elements in a room. Renoir mixed two entirely different art movements on one canvas. If he can do it, you can mix a vintage rug with a modern desk.
- Focus on "The Look": The power of the painting comes from the eye contact. The little girl on the right and the woman on the left both look directly at the viewer. It creates a connection that bridges the gap between the 1880s and now.
- Color Blocking with Blue: If you're painting or decorating, look at Renoir's use of "slate blue" and "silver-grey." It’s sophisticated and calming, especially when popped with a bit of orange or dull gold (like the girl's hair in the painting).
Auguste Renoir The Umbrellas isn't just a picture of rain. It’s a snapshot of an artist caught between who he was and who he wanted to be. It’s a reminder that it's okay to change your style, even if you’re already famous for it.
To see the texture for yourself, you can find the original at the National Gallery in London, where it sits as a permanent reminder that even masterpieces can be a work in progress.
Next Steps for Art Lovers:
Check out Renoir's The Large Bathers to see the final result of his "linear" style, or visit the National Gallery’s digital archive to view the X-ray composites that reveal the "hidden" hats and frills underneath the final layers of The Umbrellas.