Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierre Renoir, France (acquired directly from the artist)
Durand-Ruel, Paris
Paul Guillaume & Brandon David, Ltd., London
Alex Reid & Lefevre, Ltd., London (acquired by 1954)
Sir Alexander Korda, London
Mrs. David Metcalfe, London (bequeathed from the above)
Mrs. A. Metcalfe, London (by descent from the above and sold by the estate: Sotheby's, London, June 25, 1996, lot 111)
Michelle Rosenfeld Inc. Fine Arts, New York (acquired at the above sale)
Private Collection, Chicago
Jeanne Frank Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above on November 4, 1996

London, Alex Reid & Lefevre, Ltd., A Group of French Paintings of the XIX and XX Centuries, 1954, no. 17, illustrated in the catalogue

Ambroise Vollard, Tableaux, pastels et dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, vol. I, Paris, 1918, no. 269, illustrated p. 68
John Rewald, Renoir Drawings, New York, 1958, no. 75, illustrated n.p.
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, 1903-1910, vol. IV, Paris, 2012, no. 3576, illustrated p. 535

The sheet has been laid down. The medium is strong and vibrant on the page. There is some scattered foxing throughout the sheet, most significantly in the lower left and upper left quadrants, visible in the catalogue illustration. There is some time staining to the sheet along the entire periphery and particularly along the left and top edges. There are a number of pin holes to the sheet, all along the extreme edges and positioned under the mat and not ordinarily visible. The sheet has some overall time fading, commensurate with age. The work is in good condition and presents well.
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.

Executed circa 1905, this portrait of the artist's youngest son Claude, known as Coco, relates very closely to an oil painted in 1907 (see fig. 1). Renoir often chose to portray his immediate family in his compositions and Coco, who was born in 1901, was particularly favored as a sitter. Renoir's studies of Claude capture his early development and typically portray him either with his nurse, absorbed in his favorite games or, as in the present work, occupied at his easel.