Artwork
In the Sun
In the Sun is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Edouard de Beaumont. It dates from 1875 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The interaction between the couple and the tomb forms the primary iconographic focus of the painting, contrasting the living figures with the funerary memorial.
Édouard de Beaumont's In the Sun depicts a man and a woman positioned near a tomb. Specifically, the composition incorporates the tomb of Philippe Pot, a notable historical monument, as a central visual element. The interaction between the couple and the tomb forms the primary iconographic focus of the painting, contrasting the living figures with the funerary memorial.
Through this juxtaposition, the work explores themes of mortality and memory, using the recognizable tomb to anchor the figures' contemplative presence within a funerary setting.
Technique & Style
The painting employs oil paint on canvas, a conventional support for mid-19th-century French academic works. The handling reflects Édouard de Beaumont’s academic training, with smooth, blended brushwork and careful modeling of light and shadow to articulate form. Compositionally, the scene is organized around a central figure illuminated by sunlight, using a warm palette to heighten the effect of natural light.
The figures are rendered with precise anatomical detail and placed within a shallow, stage-like space, typical of academic staging. The overall effect emphasizes clarity and idealized naturalism, aligning with the period’s emphasis on technique and finish.
History & Provenance
In the Sun is an oil painting on canvas by Édouard de Beaumont, dated 1875. The work was created in that year, with its inception recorded as 1875. It subsequently entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held and housed.
No further details regarding an earlier ownership chain, commission, or intermediate provenance prior to its accession by the Metropolitan Museum of Art are documented in the available sources.
Édouard de Beaumont's 1875 oil painting, In the Sun, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, executed on canvas, measures 59.7 by 95.9 centimeters and depicts figures including a man, a woman, and the tomb of Philippe Pot. While the source material confirms the painting's presence in the museum's holdings and its physical dimensions, it does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece.
Furthermore, the available records do not document a history of exhibitions for this work. The painting remains part of the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is identified as a creation by Charles-Édouard de Beaumont.
Overview
Édouard de Beaumont, a French painter and illustrator recognized for his religious and genre scenes, completed In the Sun in 1875. This oil painting depicts a couple situated near ancient sculptural elements, specifically referencing the tomb of Philippe Pot. The artwork is now part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a notable example of late 19th-century French art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles-Édouard de Beaumont (1812/1821, in Lannion – 12 January 1888, in Paris), better known as Édouard de Beaumont, was a French painter, watercolourist, draughtsman, illustrator and lithographer.
