The Daughters of Catulle Mendès, Huguette (1871–1964), Claudine (1876–1937), and Helyonne (1879–1955)
1888
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
63 3/4 x 51 1/8 in. (161.9 x 129.9 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 1998, Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002
Accession Number
1998.325.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1888, Pierre-Auguste Renoir captured youthful charm of the three daughters of French poet and playwright Catulle Mendès—uguette (17), Claudine (12), and Helyonne9)—in this luminous oil-on-canvas portrait, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings collection. Titled *The Daughters of Catulleès*, the work depicts the girls gathered around a piano, with violins nearby, evoking a harmonious family moment steeped in music. Renoir, a master of French Impressionism, infused the scene with his signature warmth, using soft, dappled brushstrokes to convey the play of natural l...
About the Artist
Auguste Renoir · 1841–1919
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), born in Limoges to a modest tailor's family, displayed prodigious talent early on, apprenticed at age thirteen to the Lévy Frères porcelain factory in Paris after his family relocated there in 1845. There, he decorated fine china with floral designs, fans, and religious hangings, honing his skills in color and draftsmanship. By 1862, having saved enough, Renoir s...