Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Paul Durand-Ruel, Paris (acquired from the artist on October 29, 1901)

Thence by descent

The canvas is lined. Under ultra-violet light, there are minimal flecks of retouching on the outer framing edges and one small spot in the pale pigements of the table cloth, just above the lower horizontal framing edge. Otherwise, this work is in excellent 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.

Renoir's still-lifes are some of the most sensually appealing compositions of Impressionist art.  Rendered with the artist's characteristically soft palette and light touch of his brush, his compositions capture the aromatic beauty of each succulent piece of fruit.  These deceptively simple still-lifes, which proved to be wildly popular among Durand-Ruel's clients, revitalized this age-old subject with an Impressionist flair and inspired Paul Cézanne's investigation of this very theme.

"With Renoir, it is the sensual element in art that predominates," Christian Zervos once wrote, and his observations can very well be applied to Renoir's compositions of fruit. "With form and construction having become for him ends in themselves and the feeling of sensuality being the very essence and the whole of his work, Renoir often managed to give new expression to things which, on their own, were devoid of character"  (C. Zervos, "Is Return to Subject Matter Likely?," 1931, reprinted in Renoir, A Retrospective, New York, 1987, p. 311).