The Garden Umbrella

Of the four paintings by Frederick Frieseke in the Telfair’s collection, The Garden Umbrella bears the closest stylistic resemblance to French impressionism. Frieseke describes the landscape in broken brushstrokes of pure color, which dissolve concrete form in shimmering sunlight. The purple shadows and the bright orange coloring of the translucent parasol suggest brilliant sunshine. Frieseke painted The Garden Umbrella at Giverny, where he was a neighbor of Claude Monet for a number of years. His inclusion of a garden pool with water lilies is a subtle reminder of his deep respect for the venerated French artist.