Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Durand-Ruel, Paris (acquired directly from the artist on February 18, 1897)
Durand-Ruel Galleries, New York
Dikran Khan Kélékian, Paris & New York (acquired from the above and sold: American Art Association, New York, January 30, 1922, lot 89)
Nelle E. Mullen, Pennsylvania (and sold by the estate: Samuel T. Freeman & Co., Philadelphia, November 15, 1967, lot 13)
Acquired at the above sale

Brooklyn Museum, New York (before 1967)

Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, vol. II, Paris, 2009, no. 1155, illustrated p. 298

The canvas is unlined. There are few pinholes and nailhead indentations along the extreme right edge of the canvas, likely from a previous tacking edge, not visible when framed. There is a pindot loss along the center of the lower edge. The surface is slightly dirty. Under UV light there are possibly strokes of prior retouching visible along the extreme left, upper and right edges. Otherwise fine. This work is in overall very 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.

As the critic Théodore Duret aptly wrote, “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 women 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" (Théodore Duret, Histoire des peintres impressionnistes, Paris, 1922, p. 27).

Renoir received overwhelming praise from his contemporaries, and his portraits were admired for both their leisurely charm and sensual allure. In contrast to Renoir’s formal portraits of Parisian socialites (see fig. 1), his pictures of anonymous young women allowed him to take liberties in his manner of execution. As he had no obligation to portray his sitters with a refined demeanor or in the fashionable clothes of the time, the artist was able to concentrate on their natural beauty, freely experimenting with his brushwork. The second owner of this work, Nelle E. Mullen, was a secretary for the great collector Albert Barnes. Barnes took a personal interest in his secretary's development, teaching her about art and even loaning her money to begin her own collection. Mullen eventually became a trustee and manager of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. Her collection was sold at auction in 1967, where the current owner of the work acquired it. 



This work will be included in the forthcoming Renoir Digital Catalogue Raisonné, currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc.