PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR | La Fontaine or Jeune fille près d'une fontaine

Ambroise Vollard, Paris (acquired from the artist)
Paul Rosenberg, Paris (acquired from the above in 1919)
Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired from the above in June 1923)
Henri Canonne, Paris (acquired from the above in June 1925)
Oxford Galleries, London
O'Hana Gallery, London
Jean Larcade, Paris (acquired from the above. Sold: Sotheby's, London, 29th November 1967, lot 31)
Malingue, Paris (purchased at the above sale)
Mr & Mrs Jack S. Josey, Houston (acquired by 1976)
Hammer Galleries, New York
Private Collection, London (acquired from the above in 1980)
Sale: Marc-Arthur Kohn, Paris, 30th July 2011, lot 8
Private Collection (Sold: Sotheby's, London, 20th June 2013, lot 380)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Félix Fénéon, Guillaume Janneau & Adolphe Tabarant (eds.), Le Bulletin de la vie artistique, Paris, 15th October 1923, illustrated, n.p.
Ambroise Vollard, Tableaux, Pastels et Dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, San Francisco, 1989, no. 561, illustrated p. 141
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville (eds.), Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, Paris, 2010, vol. III, no. 2171, illustrated p. 265

Please contact the Impressionist and Modern Art Department (Phoebe.Liu@sothebys.com) for the condition report for this lot.
"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."

In La Fontaine or Jeune fille près d'une fontaine, Pierre-Auguste Renoir captures a girl using a stone water fountain, tucked away amongst the trees and flowers of a verdant garden. Painted in 1885, the present work is a sensitively characterised portrait of a young lady. Dressed all in white, she leans forward slightly with her back foot raised, steadying her pose as the water flows. Encapsulating a scene of pure tranquility, the work exemplifies Renoir’s use of feathery brushstrokes and a pastel-toned palette, bringing together an array of soft pinks, blues, greens and yellows. 1885 was the height of the Impressionist movement, and by this point in the artist’s career, his œuvre had established a solid reputation amongst the upper class and this charming depiction of a fashionable model would have greatly appealed to the sophistication of Renoir’s patrons. Executed at the peak of the artist's powers, it displays his mastery of depicting the subtle nuances of colour and light. This distinctive radiance, achieved through open and active brushwork, was due in part to his response to French Rococo painting. Renoir successfully recaptures the vivacity and joie de vivre displayed by the eighteenth-century masters, namely Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Jean-Antoine Watteau and François Boucher.

The present work was owned by both Ambroise Vollard and Bernheim-Jeune, two of the three principal dealers in Paris at the time (along with Durand-Ruel). This notable provenance is testament to the importance of the painting.



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.