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Lot 129
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Pierre-Auguste Renoir ALS Likely Re: "Young Girls At The Piano": "My portrait is going very well..."
Pierre-Auguste Renoir ALS Likely Re: "Young Girls At The Piano": "My portrait is going very well..."
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Description:

Pierre-Auguste Renoir ALS Likely Re: "Young Girls At The Piano": "My portrait is going very well..."

A 2pp autograph letter in French signed by French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) as "Renoir" on the second page at center. N.d., n.p. but the envelope postmark indicates ca. November 12, 1891, Paris, France. On pale blue stationery paper showing expected wear including flattened paper folds, else near fine. Accompanied by the original transmittal envelope bearing a cancelled stamp and philatelic markings. The pages of the letter (there is a high-quality photo reproduction of page 1 for display purposes) and envelope are mounted at the left of an annotated English translation at the right. Matted and framed behind glass. Not examined out of the frame. The sight size of the letter pages is approximately 4.5" x 6.125" while the overall size of the frame is 17.25" x 22.25" x .75." Labeled verso. Completely translated. From the Burrichter/Kierlin Collection (Mary Burrichter and Bob Kierlin were the founders of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.)

Renoir wrote this letter to Paul Bérard (1833-1905), his patron and close friend. Bérard was a wealthy banker, financial adviser, and diplomat, and well-connected socially. Renoir had painted large-scale paintings and smaller-scale decorative murals for the Château de Wargemont, Bérard's residence in Normandy, France. Renoir had also painted a portrait of his friend in 1880, and portraits of Bérard's three daughters in 1884.

Renoir's letter to Bérard is full of personal updates and artistic asides. He informs Bérard of his immediate travel plans and also notifies him of a change of address. Renoir had moved to an apartment within the Château des Brouillards at 13, rue Girardon in a rapidly developing neighborhood in Montmartre in Paris in September 1890, the same year he married his former model, the dressmaker Aline Charigot. The family occupied two upper floors of the château and Renoir used the attic as an artist's studio. Renoir speculates about the namesake of the rue Girardon, mentioning the French Baroque and Rococo sculptors François Girardon (1628-1715) and Edmé Bouchardon (1698-1762) respectively in relation to the Porte St. Denis, an urban archway erected in the 1670s and 1680s.

Renoir also mentions his current work in progress, an unspecified portrait that is "going very well." It is unclear which portrait Renoir is referring to from the context, but a strong possible candidate might be his oil on canvas "Jeunes Filles Au Piano," or "Young Girls at the Piano" (1892), currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are several reasons for this attribution. First, Renoir had been invited by the French government in late 1891 or early 1892 (around the time that this letter was written) to produce a painting (later "Young Girls at the Piano") which they promised to exhibit at the state-run Musée du Luxembourg. This timeline suggests that Renoir was probably already formulating his plans for the new commission, and possibly already working. Second, we know that an early version of "Young Girls at the Piano," the MET's version, was purchased by Renoir's dealer Durand-Ruel in April 1892, so it is likely that he may have been working on it in late 1891. The Musée du Luxembourg's version of "Young Girls at the Piano" was ready several months later, in late 1892.

"Young Girls at the Piano" is typical of Renoir's work from the early 1890s, when the artist frequently depicted young women and girls, in perfect health and with plump appearance, often garbed in pastel dresses and sunhats. The painting subjects were engaged in leisure activities like flower-picking, reading, drawing, or music lessons. A highly popular type of genre painting, Renoir's output from this time was very marketable. Renoir's works often featured one blonde in a white dress and one brunette in a pink dress; this formula is at work in "Young Girls at the Piano." While Renoir sometimes used professional models for his paintings, he also depicted family members, friends, and neighbors. The models of "Young Girls at the Piano" were Yvonne and Christine Lerolle, the daughters of French artist Henri Lerolle (1848-1929).

Renoir eventually painted several versions of "Young Girls at the Piano": these can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée d'Orangerie, and in other private and public collections. The French government purchased the Musée du Luxembourg version of "Young Girls at the Piano" for 4,000 francs in September 1892. This marked a major achievement in Renoir's career and the first official acknowledgment of his artistic talents by the state.

Translated in full:

"My dear friend,

I have received your letter announcing the arrival of a basket of pears. I thank you infinitely for the book. I will ask you to put [use] the address of my apartment. It is easier for me only being in my studio during the daytime. Write to 13, rue Girardon, 18th arrondissement, that is to say Montmartre. Be sure to write Girardon because there is a rue Gérando, Place d'Anvers [a public square located to the southeast], and people often get confused.

I can go see you Wednesday. I will leave Paris Tuesday, to see Legrand [possibly French artist Louis Legrand (1863-1951)] at Laroche Guyon [sic] [La Roche-Guyon, in northern France], and from there go on to Dieppe.

My portrait is going very well, and I would have come earlier except for 2 séances [modeling sessions] Sunday and Monday that I don't want to miss.

So a thousand best wishes to you and yours and see you soon.

Renoir
13, rue Girardon, sculptor born at Troyes, 18th century, author I believe of the door St. Denis unless it was Bouchardon, I more strongly believe that it is the second…"

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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