Auguste Renoir

Bust of a Woman
Buste de femme
c. 1904

Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 21 × 16.6 cm (8.26 × 6.53 in.)
Framed Dimensions: 39 × 35 cm (15.35 × 13.77 in.)
Signature: Initial “R” in upper left

Please contact the gallery for details regarding provenance and authentication certificates.

About the Artwork

This 'Bust of a Woman,' painted around 1904, embodies the "softness, richness, and formal harmony" that Renoir pursued in his later years. At the time, the artist lived in Cagnes-sur-Mer in the South of France and favored intimate portraits where female figures exuded a calm, timeless beauty.

The model, depicted as a bust, emerges against a warm, vibrant background. The brushstrokes are broad and softly blended, not meticulously outlining the contours, but rather enveloping the model in a gentle atmosphere.

The slightly tilted face, composed of ochre, pink, and brown pigments, exudes a sensual yet serene presence. Here, Renoir moves away from the Impressionist pursuit of light effects, towards a painterly surface that seems to caress the very volume, almost tangible to the touch. The gathered dark hair creates a quiet contrast with the background, while the brightly colored clothing, rendered with quick brushstrokes, accentuates the sculptural quality of the bust.

This work reflects the artist's maturity, his affection for full and serene figures, and his desire to depict femininity as an ideal of softness and vitality. It is one of a series of works from Renoir's later period, released from the confines of Impressionism, relentlessly pursuing intimate, sensual, and profoundly human paintings.