Pierre Auguste Renoir Artwork Details

 

 

Detailed Description

Medium: Original lithograph , 1898, in 5 colours , on Arches Ingres laid paper with watermark MBM (France), an unsigned and unnumbered impression. References : Loys Delteil (Pierre Auguste Renoir : L’Oeuvre grave et lithographie) Number 31 Leymarie & Melot “Les Gravures des Impressionistes” Number 30 Roger Max “Les Lithographies de Renoir” Number 6 Una Johnson “Ambroise Vollard, Editeur - Prints, Books, Bronzes” Roger Passeron “Impressionist Prints” - see page 126 Well Known Collections: Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris Grunwald Size: 320 x 270 mms (image size) ; 630 x 470 mms (sheet size) Edition: 100 impressions in total plus some trial proofs. There were also a certain number of proofs made in gray and black. Printed by: Auguste Clot, Paris Published by: Ambroise Vollard, Paris Public Collections: Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. Note on the subject: We would quote at length the text written by Passeron on this famous piece: “Jean Renoir, the artists second son, is shown here nibbling at a biscuit. When this fresh and appealing portrait was made the artist was living with his family at Montmartre in an old house known as the Chateau des Brouilliards. Jean Renoir later became a famous film director, the maker of “La Grande Illusion, La Bete Humaine” and many other well known films. He was born in 1894, the same year Renoir met Vollard, and this work was completed two years later. Renoir and his Master Printer, Clot outdid themselves and made unquestionably the artists finest print. The colours have a a pastel tonality and a delightful mat finish..... For this lithograph Renoir used 9 colours , which clot transferred to 10 stones.... many trials must have been made before r was satisfied. all these trial proofs are vey rare....To see a fine impression of it’s final state is to realise what a supreme achievement it is. it is one of the high watermarks of colour lithography, not only for it’s technical perfection but for it’s artistic qualities.” Note on the technique: As we can see from the above the final state was in 9 colours (Some say only 8) and trial proofs exist, such as ours, with different numbers of colours.