An umbrella Madonna, parasols of the nobility, in soirées on the beach, the rise of the white parasol and arrival of Japonisme, with Sargent and Sorolla, and in California.
Orpen
In the early 20th century, some bathers opted for trunks, a few still bathed naked in seclusion, and modern clothes broke out on occasion.
From Charles Conder’s Holiday at Mentone, Australia, to Pierre Bonnard on the beach at Arcachon in south-west France, in 1922.
Borrowed from the Church, parasols became an accessory of the aristocracy, then for all who were fashionable. They went from black to white, then Japanese.
The birthplace of Impressionism, and its spread around the world, it also reflected the huge changes in society, leisure, and dress. Let’s soak up the sun.
The Eclectic Light Company 