PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR | Paysage d'Essoyes

Ambroise Vollard, Paris (acquired by 1919)
Madame de la Chapelle, Paris (acquired circa 1952)
Emile Roche, France (acquired by 1954)
Sale: Christie's, London, June 25, 1998, lot 138
Acquired at the above sale

Paris, Les Expositions de Beaux-Arts et de la Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Renoir, L'Oeuvre sculpté, l'oeuvre gravé, aquarelles et dessins, 1934, no. 76
Paris, Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Chefs d'oeuvre de Renoir dans les collections particulières françaises, 1954, no. 76 

Ambroise Vollard, Tableaux, pastels et dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, vol. II, Paris, 1918, illustrated p. 130
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, 1882-1894, vol. I, Paris, 2007, no. 70, illustrated p. 153

The canvas has been lined. There is some craquelure throughout, and some minor areas of flaking along the right edge and in the right half of the upper edge. There are 2 one inch areas of staining in the lower right quadrant. There are 3 pindot stains in the tress at left, and there are also some pindot losses to the pigment in the trees. The surface has been varnished. The colors present well. Under UV light, there are scattered strokes of inpainting throughout the sky as well as areas of inpainting in the trees at left, and some additional strokes in the lower right corner which appear to be reworking by another hand. The work is in overall 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.

Paysage d'Essoyes is a quintessential example of Renoir’s early countryside scenes, 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 handling of his brush, which rendered quick slashes which are informal yet carefully composed of shades of green and hints of blue, purple and red. In their achievement of atmosphere through color and brushstroke, Renoir's landscape scenes are evocative of Camille Pissarro's works, the latter artist a keen observer and prolific painter of life in the French countryside (see fig. 1). While Renoir was inspired by Pissarro's techniques and his revolutionary portrayals of rural subjects, Renoir himself inspired many of his contemporaries. His exuberance caught the attention of artists like Vincent van Gogh, who so admired 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).

Located approximately 150 miles southeast of Paris, in the Champagne region, Essoyes was the home village of Renoir's wife Aline Victorine Charigot. The couple traveled to Essoyes together in 1885, where Renoir was instantly charmed by the romance of provincial life. Renoir, his wife and their three children would spend summers in Essoyes for the next three decades, purchasing a house in town in 1896. After their deaths, both Pierre-Auguste and Aline were buried in the cemetery in Essoyes.



This work will be included in the forthcoming Renoir Digital Catalogue Raisonné, currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc.