Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Ambroise Vollard, Paris (acquired directly from the artist)
André Weil, Paris
René Fribourg, New York (and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 26, 1963, lot 118)
O'Hana Gallery, London (acquired at the above sale)
Samuel J. & Ethel LeFrak, New York
Thence by descent

Ambroise Vollard, Tableaux, pastels et dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, vol. II, Paris, 1918, illustrated p. 129
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, vol. II, Paris, 2009, no. 1143, illustrated p. 290

The canvas has been relined. When examined under UV light, there is evidence of retouching to the sitter's face, to the left of her profile in the background, and scattered retouching to her clothes and the paper she is holding. There is also retouching to the periphery of the composition, likely addressing paint rubbing and loss. The surface would benefit from a light clean. The painting is in good 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.

Young women reading and other domestic feminine activities dominate the scenes of social life that Renoir painted in the 1890s. Femme lisant, painted circa 1894, exemplifies the fluid, soft brushwork and nuanced palette that is so typical of Renoir's style at the turn of the century. Moving away from cooler colors, firm contours and the clear distinction between figure and background that characterizes his portraits from the mid-1880s, Renoir organized his compositions with correlated colors on the canvas to achieve a sense of formal unity. The figure in this work is surrounded by a warm, almost translucent atmosphere that the painter created with the creamy, expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colors of his mature style.

Indeed, Renoir emphasizes the lyrical quality of color, testing warmer hues of red and pink offset by cooler greens and blues to describe a calm scene of domesticity, intimacy and quietude. Almost in celebration of the mundane, Renoir painted for visual delight, immersing himself in his modern, contradictory world, and emerging only with images of pleasure.

Fascinated by the artist's exquisite rendering of female portraits, the French art critic Théodore Duret remarked, "Renoir excels at portraits. Not only does he catch the external features, but through them he pinpoints the model's character and inner self. I doubt whether any painter has ever interpreted woman in a more seductive manner. The deft and lively touches of Renoir's brush are charming, supple and unrestrained, making flesh transparent and tinting the cheeks and lips with a perfect living hue. Renoir's women are enchantresses" (quoted in Histoire des peintres impressionnistes, Paris, 1922, pp. 27-28).