Who painted Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar?

Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar was painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1898.

Where can I see Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar?

Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar?

Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar?

Museum-quality prints of Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar

Pierre-Auguste Renoir , 1898

Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1898, this oil on canvas by Auguste Renoir depicts a young Spanish woman engaged in playing a guitar.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower right: Renoir.98.

About this work

Technique & Style

The composition balances intimate portraiture with a decorative flattening of space, reflecting the artist’s late Impressionist approach to form and surface.

The work is an oil painting on canvas, executed in 1898 with dimensions of 55.6 cm by 65.2 cm. Renoir employs a loose brushstroke and a muted palette to render the sitter in three-quarter view, emphasizing the soft modeling of flesh and the delicate handling of light across the guitar. The composition balances intimate portraiture with a decorative flattening of space, reflecting the artist’s late Impressionist approach to form and surface. The canvas remains in stable condition, having been acquired directly from the dealer Durand‑Ruel in 1899 and later transferred to the National Gallery of Art through the bequest of Ailsa Mellon Bruce in 1970.

History & Provenance

Auguste Renoir completed the oil-on-canvas portrait Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar in 1898. The work was purchased directly from the artist by the Parisian gallery Durand-Ruel on January 25, 1899, under stock number 4988. The painting remained in the gallery's possession until at least 1937, when it was lent to an exhibition in Dallas.

It subsequently entered the collection of Mme Jean Lefébure in Paris, who was related to the Durand-Ruel family by marriage. The piece was later handled by Sam Salz Inc. in New York before being sold to Ailsa Mellon Bruce on October 24, 1962. Upon her death in 1969, she bequeathed the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it arrived in 1970.

Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it has been part of the museum’s holdings since its bequest in 1970. The work entered the museum through a bequest from Ailsa Mellon Bruce, who acquired it from Sam Salz Inc. on 24 October 1962. Prior to this, it was owned by Mme Jean Lefébure in Paris and earlier purchased from the artist by Paul Durand-Ruel in January 1899.

The painting has been exhibited at least once, when it was lent by Durand-Ruel to an exhibition in Dallas in 1937. Its inventory number is not specified in the provided documentation.

Overview

Created in 1898, this oil on canvas by Auguste Renoir depicts a young Spanish woman engaged in playing a guitar. The composition centers on the figure, whose attire and posture convey a moment of quiet musical activity, set against a loosely rendered backdrop that suggests an interior or intimate setting.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter is presented with a bright red hat and a decorative shawl, emphasizing her cultural identity and personal style. Her focused expression and the gentle positioning of her hands on the instrument convey a sense of concentration and the private pleasure of music, inviting viewers to share in the scene’s intimacy.