Who painted Woman Standing by a Tree?

Woman Standing by a Tree was painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1866.

Where can I see Woman Standing by a Tree?

Woman Standing by a Tree is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Woman Standing by a Tree?

Woman Standing by a Tree is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Woman Standing by a Tree?

Museum-quality prints of Woman Standing by a Tree are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Woman Standing by a Tree

Pierre-Auguste Renoir , 1866

Woman Standing by a Tree is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This oil painting by Auguste Renoir, created in 1866, depicts a lone woman positioned beside a tree.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left: AR

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition situates the figure within a natural setting, but the sources do not specify further iconographic or symbolic interpretation.

The painting titled 'Woman Standing by a Tree' portrays a solitary female sitter positioned beside a tree, rendered as a portrait in oil on canvas in 1866 by Auguste Renoir. The work is classified as a portrait, indicating its focus on the sitter’s likeness rather than allegorical narrative. It entered the National Gallery of Art’s collection through the bequest of Ailsa Mellon Bruce, having previously been owned by art dealer Ambroise Vollard and Capt. Edward H. Molyneux, who exhibited it in 1952.

The composition situates the figure within a natural setting, but the sources do not specify further iconographic or symbolic interpretation.

Technique & Style

Created in 1866, Woman Standing by a Tree is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 25.2 centimeters in height and 15.9 centimeters in width, presenting a portrait format. As a piece from Renoir's early career, the painting utilizes traditional oil paint techniques applied to the woven fabric ground.

While specific details regarding the brushwork handling or current conservation condition are not detailed in the available records, the physical medium is definitively established as oil on canvas. The compact dimensions suggest a focus on intimate observation rather than a large-scale composition. The work remains part of the National Gallery of Art collection in Washington, D.C., preserving the original material integrity of the artist's application.

History & Provenance

Woman Standing by a Tree is an oil on canvas portrait painted by Auguste Renoir in 1866. The work first entered the collection of Parisian dealer Ambroise Vollard before being acquired by Capt. Edward H. Molyneux in Paris by 1952; it was exhibited from his collection that year. In August 1955 the painting was sold to Ailsa Mellon Bruce in New York, and following her death it was bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in 1970, where it remains on view.

Woman Standing by a Tree is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the NGA collection through the bequest of Ailsa Mellon Bruce (1901–1969) in 1970, having been purchased by her on 15 August 1955 from Captain Edward H. Molyneux (1891–1974), Paris, who owned the work by 1952. Prior to Molyneux, the painting was held by the dealer Ambroise Vollard (1866–1939) in Paris. The documented exhibition history consists of a single recorded showing: it was exhibited as part of the Molyneux collection in 1952 at the National Gallery of Art.

Context

Auguste Renoir painted Woman Standing by a Tree in 1866, an oil on canvas portrait that exemplifies his early exploration of light and composition within the genre of portraiture. The work entered the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., after a documented chain of ownership that began with Parisian dealer Ambroise Vollard, passed to collector Captain Edward H. Molyneux, and was shown in the museum’s 1952 Molyneux collection exhibition before Ailsa Mellon Bruce acquired it in 1955 and bequeathed it to the institution. Measuring 25.2 × 15.9 cm, the painting is catalogued in the Gallery’s collection and continues to be referenced in scholarship on Renoir’s transitional period between Impressionist technique and later figural studies.

Overview

This oil painting by Auguste Renoir, created in 1866, depicts a lone woman positioned beside a tree. She is dressed in a flowing, light-colored garment, with subtle shadows indicating the folds of the fabric. The background features a soft, indistinct blend of green and brown tones, suggesting a natural setting without precise detail.