Impressionist and Modern Art

This lot will be included in the forthcoming Pierre-Auguste Renoir digital Catalogue Raisonné, currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc. It will also be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity dated February, 2025.

Provenance:

Sotheby's New York, sale of September 28, 1994, lot 5.

Merrill-Chase Galleries, Chicago, Illinois.

Private Collection.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, sale of May 16, 2014, lot 37.

Acquired from the above sale by the present owner.

Private Collection, Chicago, Illinois.

Exhibited:

The White House, Washington, D.C.

Lot Essay:

With its expressive brushstrokes and sparkling color, Paysage de Cagnes, is a quintessential example of Renoir’s mature landscape of the south of France. The view depicts the house Les Collettes, which the artist purchased in 1907 and relocated permanently to in 1908, where he would spend the final years of his life. The sun-washed scene is woven loosely together with feathery brushstrokes and dappled sunlight to form colorful, dynamic patterns, while the warm tones and radiant light beautifully capture the lush, serene environment. The present view is an evocative example of Renoir’s landscapes of the French Riviera and demonstrate his mastery at capturing the subtleties of natural light.

Renoir first traveled to the south of France in 1882, to visit fellow artist and friend Paul Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence. His discovery of the region and its surroundings – including further south towards the French Riviera – bathed in sunlight, had a strong impact on the artist’s palette, offering him a whole new range of luminous color tones. Renoir frequently returned to the area and began to make extended stays in 1898/99, partly to alleviate his rheumatoid arthritis, but also because the vibrant landscape presented an opportunity to further develop his integration of Classicism and Impressionism. The Arcadian views provided an infinite source of inspiration for the artist in his final years.

Though Renoir typically painted interiors and gardens, the artist often ventured out to the surrounding countryside. These informal landscapes offered him the freedom to improvise and experiment outside the constraints of conventional notions of composition and finish. Renoir once stated, “A tree full of colours… A gust of wind, and my tree's tonality changes. The colour isn't on the leaves, but in the spaces between them... A painter can't be great if he doesn't understand landscape.” (Pierre-Auguste Renoir, quoted in John House, Renoir 1880-1919, Boston, 1985, p. 27)

The present work evokes the beauty and harmony Renoir felt the south of France offered, with it the clear blue skies and lush greens that together create a pastoral haven. The broad sweeping strokes capture the idyllic atmosphere; to cite Virginie Journiac: “Renoir worked from nature and reconstructed his ideal of nature directly on the canvas.” (Virginie Journiac, “Renoir at Cagnes” in Exh. Cat., Los Angeles, Los Angeles Museum of Art and Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Renoir in the 20th Century, 2010, p. 95)

Renoir’s Les Collettes is often compared to Monet’s Giverny. The parallels are striking between the artists’ lives at the time. Both were at the height of their careers, yet battled with disabilities in their old age, Renoir with arthritis, Monet with cataracts. Yet despite these obstacles, both found solace in their respective gardens. As Renoir asserted, “In this marvelous country, it seems as if misfortune cannot befall one; one is cosseted by the atmosphere.” (Renoir, Hayward Gallery, London, 1985-86, p. 268)