Artwork
Small Study for a Nude
Small Study for a Nude is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It dates from 1882 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
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About this work
Technique & Style
The application of oil paint on a woven canvas support provides the texture and durability typical of late nineteenth-century French academic practice.
Executed in 1882, this work is an oil painting on canvas measuring 13.3 by 10.3 centimeters. The small scale and classification as a study suggest a focused examination of the nude figure, characteristic of Renoir's preparatory approach during this period. The application of oil paint on a woven canvas support provides the texture and durability typical of late nineteenth-century French academic practice.
While specific details regarding the current surface condition or the precise handling of the brushwork are not explicitly detailed in the available records, the material composition remains consistent with the artist's standard techniques for intimate figurative studies.
History & Provenance
Small Study for a Nude is an oil on canvas painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, executed in 1882. The work first entered the collection of Parisian dealer Ambroise Vollard, later passing to Captain Edward H. Molyneux, who owned it by 1952 and displayed it as part of his collection that year. In August 1955 the painting was sold to Ailsa Mellon Bruce, and after her death it was bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains in the permanent collection.
Small Study for a Nude is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work entered the museum's holdings in 1970 as a bequest from Ailsa Mellon Bruce, who had acquired it from Captain Edward H. Molyneux in 1955. Prior to this transfer, the painting was part of Molyneux's collection in Paris and had been exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in 1952 as part of a display of his holdings. The piece previously belonged to the dealer Ambroise Vollard before passing to Molyneux.
Context
Small Study for a Nude, painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1882, is an oil on canvas measuring 13.3 cm by 10.3 cm and belongs to the genre of the nude. The work passed from the Parisian dealer Ambroise Vollard to Captain Edward H. Molyneux, who showed it in his collection at the National Gallery of Art in 1952; it entered the museum’s holdings by bequest from Ailsa Mellon Bruce in 1970. Its early public presentation and subsequent acquisition illustrate the painting’s significance within Renoir’s late figure studies and its reception among contemporary collectors.
Overview
Auguste Renoir's Small Study for a Nude, an oil on canvas from 1882, depicts a female figure seated outdoors amidst a vibrant field. The painting serves as an intimate exploration of the nude form within a natural setting, characterized by a soft palette and fluid brushwork. It captures a moment of quiet contemplation, reflecting the artist's ongoing interest in portraying the human figure with a sense of ease and integration into its surroundings.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork presents a nude woman positioned with her back to the viewer, her head gently turned to the side. Her long, blonde hair cascades down her back as she sits among tall grasses and blooming flowers. The background, softly rendered, suggests distant trees beneath a blue sky dotted with clouds.
This composition evokes a sense of tranquility and natural harmony, portraying the figure as an integral part of the serene landscape rather than an isolated subject.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style.
