PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR (1841-1919) Étude de têtes et de buste de Maillol stamped with the artist's signature 'Renoir.' (upper center) oil on canvas laid down on canvas 13 1/4 x 8 1/4 in (33.5 x 21 cm) Painted circa 1907 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, Dalzell Hatfield Galleries, Renoir, 1841-1919, September 15 - October 15, 1943, no. 32 (titled 'Studies of Maillol Bust'). The study compositions and fragmentary works form a significant and revealing strand within Renoir's oeuvre, offering a privileged insight into his working methods, his evolving pictorial concerns, and his sustained engagement with the processes of observation and reinterpretation. Far from being ancillary to his more finished compositions, these works demonstrate a continuous and deliberate investigation into form, color, and structure, often functioning as both preparatory exercises and autonomous pictorial statements. Across his career, Renoir repeatedly returned to the practice of producing studies; rapidly executed paintings that capture a motif in a provisional or experimental state. These works are not merely preparatory sketches in the conventional sense, but rather sites of active pictorial thinking. They reveal his desire to test compositional arrangements, explore variations in light and atmosphere, and refine his understanding of the relationship between form and color under changing conditions. In many cases, such studies possess a vitality and immediacy that distinguish them from more resolved studio compositions, emphasizing process over finality. A defining characteristic of these works is their fragmentary nature. Renoir frequently isolated aspects of a larger scene, such as an arrangement of foliage, a figure in partial view, or a cropped segment of landscape, which allowed him to concentrate on specific formal problems. This fragmentation reflects not incompletion but intentional focus. By isolating elements of the visible world, he was able to examine the behavior of light on surface, the modulation of color across form, and the rhythmic potential of compositional units. These fragments often retain a strong sense of autonomy, functioning as independent visual statements rather than subordinate studies. In his later practice, particularly from the 1880s onward, these fragmentary approaches became increasingly central. As his style evolved towards a synthesis of Impressionist perception and classical structure, studies allowed him to reconcile immediacy with construction. They became a means of testing the balance between spontaneity and permanence, between the fleeting effects of nature and the stabilizing demands of composition. This tension is especially evident in his landscape studies, where rapid brushwork is used to capture shifting atmospheric conditions while still maintaining an underlying structural coherence. The fragmented format also reflects Renoir's sustained engagement with direct observation. Often working en-plein-air, he returned repeatedly to the same motifs under varying light conditions, producing multiple versions of similar views. This iterative approach underscores his interest in variation rather than repetition, with each study offering a distinct resolution of pictorial challenges. Rather than seeking a single definitive representation, he embraced multiplicity, allowing each work to register a different moment in time, a different atmospheric state, or a different chromatic emphasis. Materially, these studies are often characterized by a looser handling of paint, with visible brushwork and a reduced emphasis on finish. The surfaces are typically more open, allowing the ground to participate in the overall effect, and the handling of paint tends to favor immediacy over refinement. This directness contributes to their sense of vitality, reinforcing the impression of works made in close proximity to the motif and responsive to its changing conditions. In many cases, the boundaries between study and finished work become fluid, with certain fragments achieving a level of resolution that rivals more formal compositions. In addition to their observational function, these works also played a crucial role in Renoir's exploration of compositional structure. By isolating and reconfiguring elements, he was able to test spatial relationships and assess the distribution of visual weight across the surface. This process of fragmentation and recombination contributed to the development of his mature style, in which dense, all-over compositions are carefully balanced despite their apparent spontaneity. The significance of these studies and fragments lies not only in their preparatory role but also in their capacity to reveal the underlying logic of Renoir's pictorial thinking. They expose the iterative nature of his practice, in which ideas were continually refined through repetition and variation. At the same time, they assert the value of the incomplete and the provisional as legitimate aesthetic outcomes in their own right. Ultimately, Renoir's studies and fragment paintings offer a vital perspective on his artistic method, revealing a practice grounded in observation, experimentation, and continual revision. They stand as compelling evidence of a painter deeply engaged with the act of looking, for whom the exploration of partial forms and transient effects was central to the creation of a coherent and evolving pictorial language. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Seller of the lot has been guaranteed a minimum price for its property by Bonhams or by a third party, or jointly by Bonhams and a third party (called third party guarantor). Such guaranteed minimum price may apply only to the lot or on an aggregate basis to all or a portion of the seller's consigned property, which may be offered in one or more auctions. Bonhams and/or any third parties providing a guarantee may benefit financially if the guaranteed property is 9 sold successfully and may incur a financial loss if its sale is not successful. The third party guarantor typically provides an irrevocable written bid on the guaranteed lot prior to the auction at a level that ensures the lot will sell. If there are competing bids at the auction, the third party guarantor may also bid a higher amount than the irrevocable bid submitted. In exchange for sharing or assuming in full this risk, Bonhams may compensate the third party guarantor by paying it a fixed and/or contingent financing fee based on the hammer price achieved. Where the third party guarantor is the successful bidder on the lot, the financing fee for providing the bid may be netted against the full purchase price owing, and in such case Bonhams will report the purchase price net of such financing fee. Third party guarantors are required by Bonhams to disclose their financial interest to anyone whom they are advising in connection with the guaranteed lot. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing