Pierre-Auguste Renoir Paintings

Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1841-1919 French L'homme au petit chapeau (Portrait of Baron Raoul Barbier) Signed “Renoir” (upper right) Oil on canvas This extraordinary and thoughtful painting by the great Pierre-Auguste Renoir entitled L'homme au petit chapeau is a rare portrait of Renoir's friend Baron Raoul Barbier. Barbier seems caught in a moment of deep focus, absorbed in his reading. The subtlety in variations of color brings an ethereal quality of Renoir's brushwork. The palette is rich in nuances of green blues, capturing the delicate interplay of natural light on the sitter's complexion, complete with Barbier's famous bowling cap. A Parisian legend, the Baron also appears in Renoir's masterpiece Luncheon of the Boating Party...

Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1841-1919 French Portrait de Coco et Fleurs Signed “Renoir” (lower right) Oil on canvas A delightful and sentimental portrait of childhood innocence, Portrait de Coco et Fleurs by Pierre-Auguste Renoir is distinguished as one of the Impressionist master’s most personal works. Known for his luxuriant still lifes and captivating figurative paintings, Renoir’s portraits of children are some of the famed artist’s most sought-after works. Portraits of the artist’s own children are his most intimate triumphs of the medium. Scholars note a shift in Renoir’s depictions of children after the birth of his own. Rather than rendering children as buttoned-up accessories of adults in formal portraits, he chose to highlight their expressive and curious individuality. This portrait depicts Renoir’s son Claude at age five, sitting in profile and deeply engrossed in a drawing. Just above the painterly portrait, Renoir renders another of his favorite subjects, a profusion of flowers, with rich color and detail. The bouquet of anemones and ranunculus coupled with the child’s pink blouse and flaxen blonde tresses creates an overwhelming sense of sweetness and sentimentality. The family lovingly nicknamed their youngest son Cloclo, which later became Coco. Soon, Coco became Renoir's favorite model, surpassing his elder brother Jean. Renoir was keen to paint portraits of his children prior to their first haircut as he felt long unshorn hair captured their childhood innocence. When Coco was born, Jean’s hair was cut for the first time and his father rarely painted him again. Of the shift, Jean Renoir recalled, "It was while we were living in the rue Caulaincourt that my father had me pose for him most often. A few years later my brother Claude, who was seven years younger than I, was to take my place in the studio. Coco certainly proved one of the most prolific inspirations my father ever had." Renoir held somewhat progressive ideas about childhood for his time. He believed children should be able to make their first contact with the world around them without adult or external interference. He insisted that children should have just the right kinds of colors and objects around them and promoted a more organic and natural environment for his children. This approach might shed light on Renoir’s unique choice to portray his children in a feminine-like way. Often, Renoir’s portraits of his sons are mistaken for girls as Renoir usually dressed them in girls’ clothing...

Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1841-1919 French Madeleine (Buste de femme avec fleurs dans les cheveux) Signed “Renoir” (upper right) Oil on canvas This intimate portrait by Impressionism...

This breezy shore scene is an outstanding example of the legendary Pierre-Auguste Renoir's distinctive style. With his vivid palette and fluid brushstrokes, Renoir beautifully captures the ephemerality and tranquility of the harbor scene in Brittany. Bringing together bold complementary colors, the work embodies the fresh spontaneity of Renoir's finest plein air paintings and reveals the Impressionist legend’s mastery over light and atmosphere. The soft brushwork used to render the foliage, as well as the work's rich orchestration of contrasting and complementary hues place this work among Renoir's finest landscapes. Renoir’s love of light, color and movement are all clearly evident in Les voiliers au bord de mer. Swirling impastos and the artist’s lively and light brushwork imbue this scene with a sense of animated impermanence, conveying the effect of a windy day by the shore. The trees and foliage seemingly dance in the gentle breeze, an effect executed with a discerning blend of soft, swift strokes and heavier, more broad applications of luminous color. Renoir also instills this scene with a distinctive modernity by including bright white sailboats and the far-off, loosely rendered figures of ladies with parasols strolling by the seaside, revealing the Impressionists’ fascination with the modern lives and activities of the leisure...