Stone with Three Sketches
c. 1904, published 1919
Medium
Lithograph in black on cream Japanese paper
Dimensions
Image: 22.5 × 29 cm (8 7/8 × 11 7/16 in.); Sheet: 26.8 × 37.1 cm (10 9/16 × 14 5/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
74917
Art Historical Context
In the Prints and Drawings department of the Institute of Chicago resides *Stone with Three Sketches a captivating lithograph by Pierre-Aug Renoir, created around 1904 and published in1919. Renoir, a leading figure in French Impressionism, is renowned for his luminous paintings of everyday life, but this work reveals his experimental side in printmaking. The image captures three informal sketches directly on the lith stone, rendered in bold black lines on creamy Japanese paper—a luxurious, textured support prized by artists for its absorbency and subtle sheen. Lithography, Renoir's chosen med...
About the Artist
Pierre-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...