Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Claude Monet, Giverny

Michel Monet, Giverny (by descent from the above)

Private Collection, France (by descent from the above. Sold: Sotheby's, London, 24th June 1996, lot 27)

Private Collection, United States (purchased at the above sale. Sold: Sotheby's, New York, 3rd May 2011, lot 1)

Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Ambroise Vollard, Tableaux, pastels et dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paris, 1918, no. 309, illustrated p. 78

Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, Paris, 2009, vol. II, no. 1483, illustrated p. 497

Executed on cream laid paper, not laid down, t-hinged to the mount at the top edge. The sheet bears a watermark in the lower left corner and is mount-stained along the edges (not visible when mounted). Apart from a 2cm. repaired tear in the upper right corner and some scattered spots of foxing, mainly visible on the reverse of the sheet, this work is in good condition. Colours: In comparison to the printed catalogue illustration, the charcoal has a more neutral and less warm tonality.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

As pillars of the Impressionist movement, Renoir and Monet maintained a close professional and personal relationship throughout their lives. The two artists met in 1861 while studying at Charles Gleyre's studio in Paris. They developed similar working methods, preferring to paint en plein air during excursions to the forest of Fontainebleau, along with fellow artists Bazille, Pissarro and Sisley. In 1874 these artists staged an exhibition as an alternative to the official Salon, and this would become known as the first Impressionist exhibition, the term ‘Impressionism’ deriving from a title of a painting by Monet included in the show. Forever after, Monet and Renoir would be known as the fathers of this revolutionary style.

Renoir’s earliest depictions of his fellow artist date from this first period of Impressionism. In the summer of 1873 he visited Monet at his house at Argenteuil and painted the artist at work in his garden and a year later - in the months after the exhibition - he joined the Monet family there once more, painting a touching portrait of the artist’s wife and young son in the garden of their home. He also painted a number of more formal portraits including a picture of the artist at his easel, Claude Monet (fig. 1), now in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Over the following decades the two artists maintained their friendship, although by the time Renoir drew this portrait of Monet around 1890, they had ceased exhibiting their work with the original Impressionist group. They both had already attained considerable commercial success, and Renoir in particular was now regarded as the most sought-after portrait painter in Paris.

This beautiful rendering of Monet is a highly detailed and intimate portrait that stands as an exquisite testimony to their familiarity and friendship. Not long before his death in 1919, Renoir acknowledged the important influence Monet had had: ‘I have never had a fighter’s temperament and would have given up on many occasions if my old friend Monet – one who does have a fighter’s temperament – had not been there to put me on my feet again’ (quoted in Faces of Impressionism: Portraits from American Collections (exhibition catalogue), The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, 1999-2000, p. 148).