Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Ambroise Vollard, Paris (acquired directly from the artist)
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired from the above on November 12, 1936)
Private Collection, France (acquired from the above on November 12, 1936)
Galerie René Drouin, Paris
André Herscher, France
Private Collection, New York
Acquired from the above on November 21, 1997

Paris, Galerie René Drouin, Le Portrait français, 1943, no. 92, illustrated in the catalogue

Ambroise Vollard, Tableaux, pastels et dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, vol. II, Paris, 1918, illustrated pl. 129
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, vol. V, Paris, 2014, no. 4384, illustrated p. 451

The canvas in unlined. There is a small cluster of pin dots in the upper right and upper left corners. There is a small pin-dot hole to the center of the right edge and a further pin-dot hole to the center of the left edge. There is light frame abrasion to the periphery of the canvas. When examined under UV light, there is no evidence of any restoration or repainting to the surface. There is minor surface dirt. The painting is in very good condition and is ready to hang on the wall.
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.

Painted circa 1912, Buste de femme is a vibrantly executed example of Renoir’s masterful late portraits. The lively brushwork is accentuated by the vivid palette chosen to depict the artist’s longstanding model. During his long career, Renoir painted the portraits of a wide range of sitters: fellow artists such as Alfred Sisley and Claude Monet, affluent patrons such as Madame Georges Charpentier, and dealers including Paul Durand-Ruel and Ambroise Vollard. His own family also sat for him frequently and in his art one can follow the development of his three sons, Jean, Pierre and Claude, as they mature from infancy to adolescence. Individually each representation of Gabrielle served to explore Renoir’s capacity for greater Impressionistic effects. This example of the artist’s mature oeuvre displays his pre-eminence at rendering light as it fell upon the human form.

By the time he painted the present work, Renoir was renowned as the finest portrait painter of the Impressionist circle. His portraits of women in particular received overwhelming praise from his contemporaries and were admired for their sweet docility and sensual allure. The critic Théodore Duret later wrote: "Renoir excels at portraits. Not only does he catch the external features, but through them he pinpoints the model's character and inner self. I doubt whether any painter has ever interpreted women in a more seductive manner. The deft and lively touches of Renoir's brush are charming, supple and unrestrained, making flesh transparent and tinting the cheeks and lips with a perfect living hue. Renoir's women are enchantresses" (Théodore Duret, Histoire des peintres impressionnistes, Paris, 1922, p. 27).