Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Confidence

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1841-1919), Confidence, signed ‘Renoir.’ (upper left), oil on canvas, 16¼ x 13 1/8 in. (41.3 x 33.4 cm.), Painted in 1897, Image Source: Christie’s

“Painted in 1897, Confidence captures a couple in a private moment of conversation, the woman’s lips slightly parted as she leans in to speak, the man’s head lowered in a posture of concentration. The intimacy of the scene is emphasized by the extremely close vantage point, with both heads abruptly cropped by the edges of the canvas. Renoir’s focus is on the figures’ overlapping profiles, which interlock like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The dialogue between their forms is heightened by the light that enters from the direction of the viewer, reflecting off the side of the man’s face while casting the woman’s features into shadow. At the same time, the scene is unified by the warm, restrained palette of cream, russet, and dark brown. The bow at the nape of the woman’s neck provides a rosy pink accent, the color of which is echoed in the ruddy blush on the man’s cheek. The background is rendered principally in a rich, chocolate brown, with a narrow band of a silky, cream-colored curtain visible at the left. Renoir thus provides just enough descriptive detail to place the scene in a bourgeois domestic interior, but not enough to distract from the immediacy of the central exchange.”

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Renoir at Musee d’Orsay

Renoir at Christie’s

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~Sunnyside

11 Comments Add yours

  1. Dee's avatar Dee says:

    Your post encourages me to pull out my Impressionism art books to search for this painting. I do not recall ever seeing it before! Thank you for sharing this. 🌸

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It is new to me, too, Dee. I am happy you enjoy it! 🙂🌺

      Like

  2. christinenovalarue's avatar christinenovalarue says:

    ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Ana Daksina's avatar Ana Daksina says:

    A timeless relationship.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. It is a beautiful painting with lots of intrigue. I have never seen it before and I love it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love this one, too, Sheila. It makes me wonder what that conversation might have been about! 🙂

      Like

  5. Thanks for sharing this gem from my favorite artist! I’ve never seen this painting.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was new to me, also, Rosaliene. I am so pleased you enjoy it, too! 🙂🌺

      Liked by 1 person

  6. penwithlit's avatar penwithlit says:

    Reblogged this on penwithlit.

    Liked by 1 person

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