Artwork
The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil

The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Edouard Manet. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Édouard Manet completed this oil canvas in 1874.
About this work
Overview
Édouard Manet completed this oil canvas in 1874. The work depicts a domestic scene set in a garden, featuring a family engaged in everyday activity. Today the painting is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Subject & Meaning
At the center of the composition a woman in a light dress reclines on a blanket beside a child dressed in blue, both turning their gaze toward an unseen point. A man, wearing a blue shirt and a dark hat, leans forward to water the surrounding plants, suggesting a moment of quiet leisure and familial care within an outdoor setting.
Technique & Style
Manet employs a loose yet controlled brushwork typical of his late 19th‑century practice, allowing the foliage and figures to blend into a harmonious whole. The palette balances cool blues and greens with the warm reds of scattered blossoms, creating depth while maintaining a sense of immediacy.
History & Provenance
Since its creation, the canvas has passed through private hands before entering the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s European paintings collection. Its acquisition reflects the institution’s commitment to representing French Impressionist and Realist movements.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Édouard Manet didn’t have much time to make his mark—he died at 51—but he used every year.















