23. Bather [cca. 1892]

More than 100 years after his death, Pierre-Auguste Renoir is still recognized worldwide for his intimate portraits and idyllic landscapes. By the end of the 19th century, the artist, along with Degas, stood out as the Impressionist painter who thoroughly explored the subject of the nude. Exploring this theme, Renoir expressed his talent as a draughtsman, his vision as a colourist, and his desire to preserve the charm and delicacy of the body, seeking to capture the body's line and posture. He thus manages to capture models emanating elegance and serenity, without objectifying the subject. Renoir's exploration of the nude spanned two decades, between 1870 and 1890. During his initial association with the Impressionist painters of the 1870s, the artist preferred a freer brushwork, relying little on the line, as evidenced by the work from 1876, "Trunk kissed by the sun", displayed at the Musée d'Orsay. A change in artistic manner occurred after his trip to Italy in 1881, where he was impressed by Raphael's frescoes at the Villa Farnesina. The precision of forms and open chromatics had a profound impact on his art, visible in works like "Nude sitting by the water's edge", 1883, or "The Great Bathers" from 1887. Renoir's nudes generally focus on warm tones, pastel and harmonised colours, placing the characters in outdoor settings, in Impressionist tradition. Shades of pink and white predominate, and the backgrounds appear neutral, either indoor settings or natural landscapes. The figures are often captured in reclining positions, on sofas or couches. The emphasis is on the smooth curves of their hips. Among the works included in this thematic cycle are "Nude from behind" (1909), "Rest after bath" (1909), "Reclining Nude" (1890) or "Gabriela Reclining Nude" (1903) from the collections of the d'Orsay or l'Orangerie museums in Paris. The models Renoir represented in his works include Lisa Treo, Margarita Legrand, Suzanne Valadon, and Gabriel Renard. The present work is likely executed in the early 1890s. The model is captured indoors and demonstrates his late style, with numerous classical references. The figure is depicted from behind in a supple and voluptuous manner: the accentuated curve of the hip extends to the arm in a wide linear movement that surrounds the head. As demonstrated by the present work, Renoir maintains a certain fluidity of the line in order to express the fullness of the body. Painted in pearly ochre tones, it is highlighted by the background outlined in shades of blue and orange, as well as the white draperies that enhance the model's brightness and freshness.

References

VERHAEREN, Emile, "Impressionism", 1885, reprinted in WADLEY, Nicholas, "Renoir, A Retrospective", New York, 1987.

Dimensions

width 23.5 cm, height 14.5 cm

Description

oil on canvas, signed at the bottom right, in blue, "Renoir"

Research information

The work is reproduced in "Sacha Guitry", My Doctors", Cortial Publishing, 1932. The work is reproduced in the catalog "Renoir: Raisonné Catalog of Paintings, Pastels, Drawings and Watercolors, 1882-1894", Volume II, by Guy-Patrice and Michel Dauberville, ed. Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, 2009, on page 421, no. 57.

Dating

cca. 1892

PROVENANCE

the collection of the playwright Alfred Savoir the collection of the actors Sacha Guitry and Lana Marconi the collection of Pierre Cornette de Saint-Cyr, renowned art dealer from France the auction of Cornette de Saint-Cyr, Maison des Ventes, Paris, 28.03.2013, lot 667

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