La Mare aux Fées is perhaps one of the artist's first mature efforts in a style that, in both subject matter and treatment, approaches Impressionism. At this time most of his paintings especially his portraits and nudes followed a more formal and academic approach. This traditional approach adopted obviously with one eye on the Salon, which in 1865 accepted his portrait of Sisley's father. In contrast with such set pieces, he painted for his own amusement and for his friends in a much livelier manner, and La Mare aux Fées displays the brighter colors and looser brush strokes of this casual style, and is full of unalloyed charm. It is most likely that the "models" were his friends and that the scene takes place either in a park in Saint-Cloud, a suburb of Paris, or perhaps near the forest of Fontainebleau where Renoir frequently painted when he stayed with Jules Le Coeur, a fellow painter and wealthy friend.

François Daulte will include this painting in the forthcoming vol. IV (paysages) of his Renoir catalogue raisonné.

We are grateful to François Daulte for his assistance in researching and cataloguing this painting.