In this oil painting by Ludovic Alleaume, two women are lying in the grass, seamlessly chatting in the midday sunlight. Although their poses appear natural, it seems daring, adventurous - if not unlikely - that these women would choose to sit in the sun rather than the shade at this time of the day and in such a dry climate. The parasol offers a captivating light effect, spreading a shadow in warm reddish tones over the female bodies. The latter is quite telling of the fact that this painting was posed, made on purpose to benefit from special lighting that portraits the flaneuses in a vivid and colorful setting. Both of them have specific features that characterize an afternoon in the countryside. The one on the foreground holds a half-read book in her hand and wears an unconventional checked dress (that could have been much criticized at the Salon). Meanwhile, the other carries the parasol in one hand and a freshly picked flower in the other.

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