Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Maurice Gangnat, Paris (acquired from the artist. Sold: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Collection Maurice Gangnat, 24th & 25th June 1925, lot 142)
Purchased at the above sale by the family of the present owner

Düsseldorf, Kunsthalle, Renoir, 1955, no. 44
Paris, Galerie Durand-Ruel, Renoir, Collection Maurice Gangnat, 1955, no. 44
London, Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., Renoir: An Exhibition of Paintings from European Collections, 1956, no. 34, illustrated in the catalogue (as dating from 1908)

William Gaunt, Renoir, London, 1952, illustrated in colour pl. 92
Maximilien Gauthier, Renoir, Lugano, 1967, illustrated in colour p. 77 (titled Les Roses à la teinture rose)

The canvas is unlined and there is no evidence of retouching under ultra-violet light. This work is in very good original condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although slightly richer in the original.
"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."

Renoir's still-lifes are among the most sensually appealing compositions of Impressionist art. In particular, roses were Renoir's favourite subject, and in the present work he rendered them with a characteristically rich palette, capturing the beauty of each individual flower. The artist's deceptively simple still-lifes, which proved to be wildly popular among the clients of Renoir's dealer Durand-Ruel, revitalised this age-old subject with an Impressionist flair, resulting in some of the most vibrant compositions of the artist's œuvre.

 

Although Renoir painted this work in a controlled, staged environment, it is invigorated by spontaneity of execution and a sense of freedom of his brushstrokes. The composition is animated by vibrant colours and a light that illuminates the vase of roses, presumably coming from the window which is not depicted, but rather suggested by the curtain on the right. Renoir has rendered the background of this composition with broad brushstrokes, focusing on the contrast between the bright red and yellow tones of the flowers and the cooler white and blue hues of the vase and the curtain.

 

The first owner of the present work was Maurice Gangnat, a collector with an extreme fondness for Renoir's paintings, in particular his small-scale, freely composed landscapes, still-lifes and figure studies. From the time he began collecting in 1905 until the artist's death in 1919, Gangnat amassed over 150 of Renoir's works, while cultivating a strong friendship with the artist. Les Roses au rideau bleu was sold in the 1925 auction of Gangnat's collection held in Paris after his death, where it was acquired by the family of the present owner.