Camille Monet sur son lit de mort, 1879

Oil on canvas

Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Camille Monet sur son lit de mort or Camille Monet on Her Deathbed

Claude Monet painted this portrait after his first wife Camille's death on September 5, 1879. He mentioned later that when he looked at her, instead of seeing his dead wife and former model, he saw interesting colors he would like to paint. This may have made him regretful and moody for the last minutes he stood there. Perhaps his love of painting inspired him to do this portrait. Monet included lots of blue and gray in this painting, as well as yellow/orange and red. Some people might feel that Monet made the portrait too light by including those hues. The light seems to be coming from the right as it shines upon Camille's face. Although you can determine that Camille wears a shroud and can definitely make out her face, the rest of the painting is less clearly described. Are those Camille's arms? Is she dressed in black? Does she have flowers? Is her mouth open? Or closed? Many have puzzled on these questions. I advise you to do the same if you have any spare time. Monet was very sad at Camille's death. She was his favorite model and had allowed him to produce the paintings below. She also appears in other paintings, whether as the subject or a background feature. Usually, Monet's son, Jean is with her. Monet also had a son named Michel, but he usually does not appear with Camille.

Paintings by Monet of Camille:

Woman with a Parasol or The Stroll
This is my favorite painting of Camille. I like the light coming from behind her and think it makes the painting brighter than it appears with the clouds.
Woman in the Green Dress or Camille
Monet painted this for the Salon. It was very fashionable and well received. In the beginning, it was mistaken for Edouard Manet's painting which led to Manet disliking Monet. It would have worked out better if Manet hadn't had a very proud and stubborn personality.
Woman with Japanese Fans or La Japonaise
Monet sold this to a collector and later remarked that he had "sold a piece of junk." Monet did not like this painting. It is actually Camille in the painting with a blond wig on.
The Red Kerchief or Madame Monet
Many people feel that this painting showed problems in Monet's marriage since Camille is trapped outside.