Pierre Renoir

Art Historical Context

In this lithograph, the viewer encounters a close, intimate portrait of a young child whose round face fills most of the sheet. Soft, fluid lines in warm brown ink describe a ruffled bonnet framing tousled hair, large eyes meeting the gaze, and the gentle curve of a shoulder. Much of the paper remains untouched, allowing the delicate features and quick, sketch-like strokes to stand out against the pale surface. Created by Auguste Renoir in 1893 and titled Pierre Renoir, the print depicts the artist’s young son. Renoir, a central figure of Impressionism, frequently explored family subjects in both painting and printmaking, using the lithographic medium to capture the same spontaneous vitality found in his canvases. This work belongs to the Rosenwald Collection at the National Gallery of Art.

About the Artist

Auguste Renoir · 1841–1919

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was a founding figure of Impressionism whose luminous depictions of Parisian leisure, sensuous female forms, and sun-dappled landscapes made him one of the most beloved painters in Western art history. Born in Limoges to a working-class family, Renoir began as a porcelain painter before pursuing fine arts, and this early craft experience gave him facility with the...