Portrait of Edmond Renoir, Jr. Pierre-Auguste Renoir

• From the former collection of the Belgian collector, journalist and perfume manufacturer René Gaffé (1887, Brussels – Cagnes-sur-Mer, 1968) • The subject of the painting, Edmond Renoir Jr., is the painter’s nephew (the son of his younger brother, the journalist Edmond-Victor Renoir) • A slightly modified, smaller version of the painting forms part of the collection of the Harvard Art Museum Pierre-Auguste Renoir is regarded as one of the most important figures of Impressionism. Unlike many of his Impressionist contemporaries, who devoted themselves primarily to landscape painting, he placed people at the centre of his work. Women and children, in particular, were among his favourite subjects. His interest lies not merely in the individual appearance of his subjects, but above all in the painterly possibilities offered by the human face. The rendering of the flesh tones, the play of light on the skin and the lively treatment of hair and fabric become essential elements of his portraits. In 1878, the art critic Théodore Duret highlighted this particular talent: ‘Renoir’s skilful and lively brushstrokes are characterised by an enchanting lightness, suppleness and ease. They lend the flesh tones an almost translucent delicacy and give the cheeks a perfectly natural, lifelike hue.’ (After B. E. White, *Renoir, His Life, Art, and Letters*, New York 1984, p. 277). Just how apt Duret’s observation is is also evident in this Portrait of Edmond Renoir, Jr. The subject is the son of Edmond-Victor Renoir, the artist’s brother, who was seven years his junior. In 1887–88, Renoir painted his nephew on several occasions. The intimacy between painter and model is also evident in this portrait. Without any pretensions to representational grandeur or narrative embellishment, Renoir focuses entirely on the child and his immediate presence. In its composition, the painting is reminiscent of Renoir’s portraits from the 1870s, in which the models frequently appear in three-quarter or full profile. Unlike in many of these earlier works, however, the artist chooses a tighter frame here. The child’s face takes centre stage, whilst the background remains largely undefined. The omission of spatial details directs the viewer’s gaze directly to the subject and lends the portrait a particular sense of intimacy and tranquillity. The long curls reflect the children’s fashion of the time. Renoir himself was fond of this hairstyle. His sons, too, wore their hair long. For the painter, it evidently held a special artistic appeal: the soft, flowing strands of hair allowed him to display his full mastery in the rendering of light, colour and texture. The documented provenance of the painting provides insight into its esteem within the 20th-century art market. In a letter dated 9 June 1939, the New York art dealer Sam Salz quoted a price of 200,000 French francs to the Belgian collector René Gaffé. Two further letters, dated 20 December 1954 and 13 January 1955, show that Salz later sought to repurchase the painting from Gaffé. | 1841 Limoges - Cagnes-sur-Mer 1919 | Moderne Kunst | Gemälde | Nummer: 26x2289 | Provenance: Edmond Renoir, Paris; Paul Rosenberg and Co., New York; Sam Salz Inc., New York; René Gaffé, 1939 bei Vorgenanntem erworben; Christie’s, New York 6.11.2001, Los 24; The Nahmad Collection; Internationale Privatsammlung.

估價:$718,544

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