PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR | Paysage

Estate of the artist
Private Collection, France (acquired before 1950)
Private Collection, France (by descent from the above and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 8, 2014, lot 145)
Acquired at the above sale

Bernheim-Jeune, ed., L'Atelier de Renoir, vol. I, Paris, 1931, no. 51, illustrated pl. 21
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins & aquarelles, 1895-1902, vol. III, Paris, 2010, no. 1938, illustrated p. 14

The canvas is lined and slightly yellowed. Under UV light: There are minor strokes of inpainting to the foliage at lower right, the sky at upper right and the foliage at lower left, with a couple additional strokes along the bottom edge. This work is in overall very good condition.
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 in 1895, Paysage embodies a hybridization of Renoir’s plein-air painting with his prototypical renderings of Cagnes and the area near the Mediterranean coast. At this point in his life, Renoir was spending increasing amounts of time in the South of France, before ultimately moving there permanently two years later. The end of the nineteenth century was a particularly prosperous time for the artist. His recognition amongst the stable of Impressionist painters and the continued support of dealer Durand-Ruel offered Renoir financial security, enabling him to explore new areas of creative interest. Renoir sought to move beyond portraiture and began to explore painting en plein air, finding the freshness of natural light preferable to that of his studio. Paysage is a quintessential example of Renoir’s late scenes of southern French towns and the surrounding countryside, which are characterized by vibrant colors and swift brushstrokes that express both a visceral technique and idyllic environment. The present work in particular illustrates Renoir’s avant-garde style—the quick slashes in his brushstroke—which are informal yet carefully composed of shades of green and hints of yellow. Renoir inspired many of his contemporaries; it was his exuberance that caught the attention of artists like Vincent van Gogh, who admired so much of Renoir’s technique. Writing to his brother Théo in 1885, Vincent had said that Renoir reminded him that “there is life in every pencil stroke," which underscores a stimulating dialogue regarding technique and composition between the two painters (quoted in Keith Wheldon, Renoir and His Art, New York, 1975, p. 120). Renoir was intent on depicting nature in a dream-like setting while focusing on the relationship between a place and its surrounding environment. He painted specifically with the “solidity, fullness, richness, reality, dignity, depth and majesty, all of which are embodied in compositions characterized by dynamic relations between solid volumes of color and units of colorful space” (Albert C. Barnes, The Art of Renoir, Philadelphia, 1935, p. 115).



This work is accompanied by an Attestation of Inclusion from the Wildenstein Institute, and it will be included in the forthcoming Renoir Digital Catalogue Raisonné, currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc.