The Red Cape (La Capeline Rouge)
Painting on canvas • Claude Monet (1840–1926)
Style & Movement
Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas; features Impressionist wet-on-wet technique, broken brushwork, and high-keyed impasto for the snow effects.
Creation Period
Circa 1868-1873 (Pre-Impressionist/Early Impressionist period)
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 100 x 80 cm; Portrait format
Subject Description
The painting depicts the artist's wife, Camille Doncieux, passing by a glass window outside their home in Argenteuil. The composition creates a 'picture within a picture' effect, looking through a French door with thin white curtains. The vibrant red of her cape creates a focal point against the muted grey of the interior and the bright white snowy landscape outside.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; well-preserved within a museum environment with stable paint layers.
Estimated Market Value
$40,000,000 - $60,000,000 USD (based on current auction records for major early Monet works)
Auction Estimate
$35,000,000 - $55,000,000 USD
Provenance History
Formerly in the collection of the artist; later acquired by various private collectors before being donated or acquired by a major public institution. Currently part of the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.
Art Historical Significance
A seminal work in Monet's early career, illustrating his transition from realism to pure Impressionism. It highlights his interest in light filtration, the juxtaposition of interior and exterior spaces, and his 'effacement' of the subject in favor of atmosphere.
Notable Features
The use of the window frame as a geometric divider of the space and the blurred facial features of Camille, which emphasizes the fugitive quality of the moment over traditional portraiture.
Condition Issues
Minor stable craquelure consistent with age; possible slight darkening of the varnish layer if not recently cleaned.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain stable humidity (45-55%) and temperature; display under UV-filtered museum glass; professional monitoring for paint adhesion.