Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Ambroise Vollard, Paris
Arthur Tooth & Sons, London
Harriet Walker Henderson, California (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 18, 1990, lot 318)
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired from the above in 1993

Ambroise Vollard, Tableaux, pastels et dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, vol. I, Paris, 1918, no. 306, illustrated p. 77
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, vol. IV, Paris, 2012, no. 3283, illustrated p. 357

This work seems to be in very fresh and good condition. The canvas has been lined, probably in France, with a non-acidic glue as an adhesive. The paint layer is cleaned and lightly varnished. There are a few tiny retouches along the extreme top edge, in the upper right corner and in the lower right corner. There do not appear to be any further retouches throughout the remainder of the picture. The above condition report has been prepared by Simon Parkes, an independent conservator who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present work is a portrait of Gabrielle Renand (1878-1959), Renoir’s housemaid and governess to his children. She became Renoir’s favorite model in his later works, and images of her from this period (such as Jeune Fille Au Panier (Gabrielle Au Jardin), see fig. 1) with flushed cheeks, dark hair and sensuous red lips are typical of the artist’s attempt to move away from his self-proclaimed manière aigre (sour manner) that he felt had pervaded his earlier work.

Renoir emphasizes the lyrical quality of color, testing warmer hues of red and pink offset by cooler greens and grays to describe a calm scene of domesticity, intimacy and quietude. By the time this picture was painted, Gabrielle had been working for the Renoir family for around 16 years; Renoir undoubtedly knew her well. Indeed, in the years leading up to her departure from the Renoir household in 1914, Renoir’s portraits of Gabrielle became increasing risqué as she began to pose for him in the nude. While Gabrielle left at around the time she was to marry the American painter Conrad Slade, her departure was in part decided by her increasingly tense relationship with Renoir’s wife, Aline. Archetypal of Renoir’s choice of subject matter, Gabrielle is here caught in a moment of reflection whilst reading; a contemplative and serene act which draws the viewer into the scene.  

Fig. 1 Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jeune Fille Au Panier (Gabrielle Au Jardin), 1912, oil on canvas, sold : Sotheby’s, New York, November 5, 2012, lot 8 for $2,434,500