PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR | Orange et fruits sur une nappe blanche (Nature morte)

Ambroise Vollard, Paris
Georges Lurcy, New York (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 7, 1957, lot 9)
Mr. D. Rosenthal, New York (acquired at the above sale)
Sale: Christie's, New York, November 14, 1984, lot 510
Ichiryo Gallery, Toyko
Corporate Collection, Toyko (acquired from the above in 1988)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Ambroise Vollard, Tableaux, pastels et dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, vol. II, Paris, 1918, no. 1049, illustrated p. 68
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles 1895-1902, vol. III, Paris, 2010, no. 1724, illustrated p. 38

The work is in overall very good condition. The canvas is lined. Under UV light, there are some small strokes of inpainting along the all four edges.
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.

Renoir increasingly rendered still lifes beginning in the early 1880s; the motif would further flourish as Renoir found financial success, freeing him from the dependency of client commissions so he could paint as he wished. With feathery brushwork and a vibrant palette, he would transform commonplace items into objects of beauty, redefining the age-old genre with his mastery of Impressionist technique. He once told Albert André that it was in these small works with their informal compositions that "he put the whole of himself, that he took every risk" (Albert André, Renoir, Paris, 1928, p. 49). Nature morte, which depicts a vibrant arrangement of fruits over a rippling cloth, exemplifies the artist’s profound skill at capturing the voluptuous volume of objects.

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