Laundress and Her Child (Aline and Pierre)
Medium
pastel on brown paper
Dimensions
sheet: 81.5 × 65 cm · framed: 99 × 82.5 × 4.2 cm
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Alexander Ginn
Accession Number
1977.167
Tags
male
About this artwork
In this idealization of motherhood and rural life, Auguste Renoir depicted his future wife, Aline Charigot, with their son Pierre. Bright colors, including warm orange and yellow, are contrasted with cool blues and greens to create a dramatic impact. Renoir took full advantage of pastel’s unique optical properties, in which minute, irregular particles diffusely reflect light, allowing for an unparalleled velvety brilliance that is perfectly suited to portray the youthful bloom of the woman and c...