Lot Essay
The present work may be a portrait of the Parisian model Marguerite Legrand, probably the artist's mistress. Known as "Margot," she posed for Renoir from 1875 until her death from smallpox in 1879. During this time he made her the subject of a number of his most important works, including La sortie du conservatoire (Daulte, no. 245; The Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania) and Au café (Daulte, no. 238; Rijksmuseum, Kröller-Müller, Otterlo).
Few models tested Renoir's patience as much as Margot. She would deliberately miss a prearranged sitting, just when the painter needed her the most. Then he would go down to Montmartre to chivvy her and most of the time ended up finding her sitting drinking wine by the liter with young tearaways. Giving in to the painter's pleas and insistence, she would promise to come back to the studio the next day, but she did not always keep her word. (G. Rivière, "Renoir et ses amies," in N. Wadley, ed., Renoir: A Retrospective, New York, 1987, p. 88)
In this portrait, Margot is portrayed with a somber yet dreamlike expression. Renoir applies the pastel densely with free and spontaneous strokes to create a rich, velvety texture.
François Daulte will include this pastel in the forthcoming volume VI (Pastels, aquarelles et dessins) of his Renoir catalogue raisonné.
Few models tested Renoir's patience as much as Margot. She would deliberately miss a prearranged sitting, just when the painter needed her the most. Then he would go down to Montmartre to chivvy her and most of the time ended up finding her sitting drinking wine by the liter with young tearaways. Giving in to the painter's pleas and insistence, she would promise to come back to the studio the next day, but she did not always keep her word. (G. Rivière, "Renoir et ses amies," in N. Wadley, ed., Renoir: A Retrospective, New York, 1987, p. 88)
In this portrait, Margot is portrayed with a somber yet dreamlike expression. Renoir applies the pastel densely with free and spontaneous strokes to create a rich, velvety texture.
François Daulte will include this pastel in the forthcoming volume VI (Pastels, aquarelles et dessins) of his Renoir catalogue raisonné.