PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR (1841-1919) Portrait de Gabrielle signed 'Renoir.' (lower left) oil on canvas 10 5/8 x 8 11/16 in (27 x 22.1 cm) Painted in 1910 Footnotes: This work will be included in the forthcoming Pierre-Auguste Renoir Digital Catalogue Raisonné, currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc. This work will be included in the second supplement to the Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles de Renoir, currently being prepared by Guy-Patrice and Floriane Dauberville. Provenance Gabrielle Renard-Slade Collection, Cagnes & Los Angeles (a gift from the artist). John Slade Collection, Beverly Hills (by descent from the above circa 1959). Thence by descent to the present owner. Exhibited Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum, Pierre Auguste Renoir 1841-1919, Paintings, Drawings, Prints and Sculpture, July 14 - August 21, 1955, no. 65 (dated 'circa 1905'). 'For me, a painting should be something pleasant, joyous and pretty, yes pretty! There are enough unpleasant things in life for one not to want to make any more of them' (Renoir quoted in M. Lucy & J. House, Renoir in the Barnes Collection, New Haven & London, 2012, p. 16). From 1894, Gabrielle Renard was precisely this for Renoir: something pretty, something joyous. As Gaston Bernheim de Villers described her, she was 'an extremely beautiful brunette - charming and intelligent. When you arrived for luncheon you were almost certain to find Renoir painting her, either in the nude or wearing transparent oriental robes' (K. Varnedoe, Masterpieces from the David and Peggy Rockefeller Collection: Manet to Picasso, exh. cat., The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1994, p. 75). Much more than just a beautiful sitter, however, Gabrielle was integral to his artistic development. She remains one of the most consequential figures in the late career of the artist, her presence marking a decisive shift in both the emotional tenor and formal ambitions of his later work. Entering the Renoir household initially as a nursemaid to the artist's young son Jean, Gabrielle swiftly assumed a far more profound role: model, companion, and essential support during a period defined by Renoir's declining health and renewed artistic direction. As has been frequently noted in scholarly literature and institutional catalogues, her image became inseparable from Renoir's exploration of an idealized yet palpably human femininity. By the mid-1890s, Renoir had begun to move away from the fleeting optical effects of Impressionism toward a more structured, classical conception of form. This evolution, often linked to his earlier travels in Italy and his admiration for Renaissance masters, found its most sustained expression through Gabrielle. Her physical presence, full-bodied, warm-toned, and unselfconsciously natural, aligned perfectly with Renoir's desire to reconcile sensuous color with volumetric solidity. As William Gaunt noted, 'Renoir disliked professional models and Gabrielle had all the qualities he regarded as essential in a model. Her skin 'took the light', she had the small-breasted, wide-hipped body he preferred, she was natural and relaxed and she was available to pose at any time' (W. Gaunt, Renoir, Oxford, 1982, p. 47). In addition to a number of depictions amongst Renoir's studies seen in Gabrielle's collection, there are three dedicated paintings of her as the sitter, each different in its representation but equally eye-catching. The first painting, Gabrielle à la blouse blanche (Lot 1), presents Gabrielle in a more composed and outward-facing format. Here, she is set against a verdant background, her figure dissolving gently into the surrounding space through feathery, atmospheric strokes. The chromatic harmony of greens, creams, and soft pinks recalls Renoir's enduring commitment to color as a vehicle of emotional expression, even as his compositions became more structured. Her gaze, directed slightly away from the viewer, conveys a self-contained serenity that resists narrative specificity. This balance between individuality and idealization is central to Renoir's late portraiture, and Gabrielle, as his most trusted model, becomes its primary vehicle. In contrast, the second of the works, Portrait de Gabrielle (Lot 10), whilst also an intimate bust-length study of Gabrielle in a red blouse, exemplifies the artist's sensitivity to quiet psychological states. Her downward gaze and softly modelled features evoke introspection, while the restrained palette, dominated by warm reds and ochres, creates a sense of enveloping calm. The brushwork, though fluid, is controlled, with Renoir carefully balancing the immediacy of touch against the stability of form. As with the portrait of Charles Le Coeur (Lot 6) he leaves the canvas unfinished yet adds his signature, emphasizing this to be left exactly as he intended. The third work, Portrait de Gabrielle (Lot 20), markedly more vigorous and loose in its execution, offers a revealing glimpse into Renoir's working process. Painted with rapid, assertive strokes and heightened tonal contrasts, it captures Gabrielle in a moment of informal expression, her head tilted and features animated with a fleeting liveliness. The visible energy of the brushwork suggests either a preparatory study or a deliberately spontaneous exploration of form. Such works underscore the extent to which Gabrielle functioned not merely as a subject of finished compositions, but as a constant presence through whom Renoir could experiment freely, even as his physical limitations increased. Indeed, Gabrielle's importance cannot be separated from Renoir's deteriorating condition. Afflicted by severe rheumatoid arthritis, the artist relied increasingly on those around him, and Gabrielle played a crucial role in enabling his continued production. She assisted him in practical ways, at times helping him to hold or manipulate his brushes and also mix his paints. This intimacy, both physical and emotional, infuses his depictions of her with an unmistakable tenderness. She appears not as a distant or idealized sitter, but as someone deeply known, her presence woven into the fabric of the artist's daily life. Beyond individual portraits, Gabrielle frequently appears in scenes of domestic harmony, often alongside Renoir's children. These compositions, many now held in major public collections, reinforce her dual identity as both caregiver and muse. They also reflect Renoir's broader late-career preoccupation with themes of continuity, nurture, and timeless beauty. The female figure, increasingly central to his work, becomes, through Gabrielle, a site of both personal affection and universal ideal. In the context of Renoir's oeuvre, Gabrielle Renard emerges as more than a recurring model; she is a defining presence of his final decades. Through her, Renoir achieved a synthesis of painterly immediacy and classical permanence, creating images that resonate with both intimacy and idealization. The works discussed here, ranging from contemplative study to expressive sketch, collectively attest to the depth and complexity of this relationship, and to Gabrielle's enduring role in shaping the visual language of Renoir's late style. 'Gabrielle - this feminine form of an archangel's name - for art lovers today expresses the very substance, essence, and soul of my father's nudes' (Claude Renoir quoted in 'Qui était Gabrielle, immortalisée par Renoir', Paris Match, no. 518, March 14, 1959). This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Seller of the lot has been guaranteed a minimum price fo For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing