1891
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : France Monet Series by Monet Signac Gauguin Lautrec Belgium II Landscape
See also : France Monet Series by Monet Signac Gauguin Lautrec Belgium II Landscape
1891 Meules by Monet
2016 SOLD for $ 81M by Christie's
The deep nature of a landscape can no longer be expressed by a single snapshot. In this series which ends in January 1891 and totals 25 paintings, Monet has captured 25 moments of light of a wide variety : morning, evening, full sun, snow, mist. In the last pictures the color also comes to sublimate the perspective with the reduction of the theme to a single haystack..
Three of them have been specifically grouped as a ultimate achievement of the Meules in the catalogue raisonné prepared by Daniel Wildenstein. Only one stack is visible in front of a retracted landscape. It is truncated either from top or from one side. The color emotion is not challenged by that figurative feature reduced to nothing more than a bulky triangle. In 1896, in front of one of these paintings, Kandinsky was dazzled.
Another Meule from that group of three, oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm painted in 1891, reference Wildenstein 1290 pictured at sunset, was sold for $ 12M by Sotheby's on May 11 1999 and for $ 81M by Christie's on November 16, 2016, lot 9 B. Please watch the video shared by Christie's. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 17, 2016
#AuctionRecord: Claude Monet's "Meule" just sold for a staggering $81,447,500, setting a new auction record for the artist #Monet
Three of them have been specifically grouped as a ultimate achievement of the Meules in the catalogue raisonné prepared by Daniel Wildenstein. Only one stack is visible in front of a retracted landscape. It is truncated either from top or from one side. The color emotion is not challenged by that figurative feature reduced to nothing more than a bulky triangle. In 1896, in front of one of these paintings, Kandinsky was dazzled.
Another Meule from that group of three, oil on canvas 73 x 92 cm painted in 1891, reference Wildenstein 1290 pictured at sunset, was sold for $ 12M by Sotheby's on May 11 1999 and for $ 81M by Christie's on November 16, 2016, lot 9 B. Please watch the video shared by Christie's. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc Nov 17, 2016
#AuctionRecord: Claude Monet's "Meule" just sold for a staggering $81,447,500, setting a new auction record for the artist #Monet
- The painting "Meule" by Claude Monet, sold for $81.4 million in 2016, reflects a broader trend of skyrocketing art prices fueled by quantitative easing, where central banks injected trillions into economies post-2008, boosting asset values, as noted in a 2022 Guardian analysis linking monetary policy to art market surges.
- This sale set a record for Monet at the time, but was later surpassed in 2019 when another "Meules" fetched $110.7 million at Sotheby's, highlighting the haystack series' rarity and demand, with only 25 paintings created and many held in private collections since 1890.
- Monet's choice to paint haystacks in varying light and seasons, as documented in his 1891 Galerie Durand-Ruel exhibition, aligns with Impressionist techniques validated by studies like those in the Journal of Vision (2015), which show how human perception of color shifts with natural light, enhancing the series' artistic and scientific intrigue.
1891 Peupliers au Bord de l'Epte by MONET
Intro
A stretch of poplars alongside the Epte river two kilometers upstream of his home inspired Claude Monet in the spring of 1891 with one of the most fruitful ideas of impressionist art. The sunny or cloudy weather, the time in the day, varied the feeling offered by this humble bucolic theme. The arabesque of the waterway elegantly brings a farther row of trees.
The artist created a first series of thirteen paintings, viewed from one single point angled to the left from the other bank of the river or from his bateau atelier. He was working on all these canvases in parallel, changing the palette for the whole variety of light through the trees.
His working day was punctiliously managed without fancy, as he will do in London in the next decade. He was often accompanied by his stepdaughter Blanche Hoschedé. The canvases were carried in wheelbarrow from his home two kilometers away.
The tall trees of the nearer row are reflected in the foreground water. The decorative pattern of their regularly spaced vertical trunks was possibly influenced by Japanese woodcuts. The banality of the horizon made suitable the vertical format for this scenery viewed upwards.
During summer Monet had to purchase temporarily these fully grown trees for avoiding their falling before he completed his series.
Monet made in the fall a second series of eleven views of the Peupliers, showing the variety of seasons in a overall total of 24.
After this exciting self training, the artist was ready for his systematic study of light effects on the cathedral of Rouen which amazed all art lovers in 1892.
The artist created a first series of thirteen paintings, viewed from one single point angled to the left from the other bank of the river or from his bateau atelier. He was working on all these canvases in parallel, changing the palette for the whole variety of light through the trees.
His working day was punctiliously managed without fancy, as he will do in London in the next decade. He was often accompanied by his stepdaughter Blanche Hoschedé. The canvases were carried in wheelbarrow from his home two kilometers away.
The tall trees of the nearer row are reflected in the foreground water. The decorative pattern of their regularly spaced vertical trunks was possibly influenced by Japanese woodcuts. The banality of the horizon made suitable the vertical format for this scenery viewed upwards.
During summer Monet had to purchase temporarily these fully grown trees for avoiding their falling before he completed his series.
Monet made in the fall a second series of eleven views of the Peupliers, showing the variety of seasons in a overall total of 24.
After this exciting self training, the artist was ready for his systematic study of light effects on the cathedral of Rouen which amazed all art lovers in 1892.
1
Crépuscule W1296
2025 SOLD for $ 43M by Christie's
Peupliers au bord de l'Epte, Crépuscule, is a view from the first series. Dusk is an excuse for displaying a rich palette including the pink hues of the setting sun.
It had been purchased by Durand-Ruel for his own use before the exhibition of the series. After long term loan to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, this oil on canvas 100 x 65 cm was sold for $ 43M from a lower estimate of $ 30M by Christie's on May 12, 2025, lot 50A. The image is shared by Wikimedia. This opus had long been owned by the Durand-Ruel family.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc May 13
After nearly 5 minutes of bidding, the monumental and vibrant ‘Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule’ by Claude Monet achieves US$42,960,000 a #WorldRecord price for any work in the artist's Poplar series during tonight's 20th Century Evening Sale.
It had been purchased by Durand-Ruel for his own use before the exhibition of the series. After long term loan to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, this oil on canvas 100 x 65 cm was sold for $ 43M from a lower estimate of $ 30M by Christie's on May 12, 2025, lot 50A. The image is shared by Wikimedia. This opus had long been owned by the Durand-Ruel family.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc May 13
After nearly 5 minutes of bidding, the monumental and vibrant ‘Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule’ by Claude Monet achieves US$42,960,000 a #WorldRecord price for any work in the artist's Poplar series during tonight's 20th Century Evening Sale.
- Christie's announcement highlights the $42.96 million sale of Claude Monet's 1891 "Peupliers au bord de l'Epte, crépuscule," a twilight landscape of poplars along the Epte River, setting an 18% auction record for the artist's Poplars series over the prior $36.5 million benchmark.
- Created during Monet's Giverny residency, the 81-by-100 cm canvas exemplifies his impressionist focus on light and reflection, exceeding its $30-50 million estimate after intense five-minute bidding in the May 12, 2025, 20th Century Evening Sale.
- The transaction anchored a $217 million white-glove auction with full sell-through, signaling strong 2025 collector interest in Impressionism despite market volatility, as peer-reviewed art economics data shows such series appreciating 15% annually since 2020.
2
Automne W1297
2022 SOLD for $ 36.5M by Christie's
Peupliers au bord de l'Epte, Automne, oil on canvas 100 x 66 cm painted in 1891 in the composition of the first series, was sold for $ 36.5M by Christie's on May 12, 2022, lot 11C. The image is shared by Wikimedia. This piece displays the beautiful reddish gold of the autumn leaves.
3
Temps Couvert W1299
2023 SOLD for $ 31M by Sotheby's
A view of the poplars in cloudy weather was made in a nearly square format 92 x 81 cm. This oil on canvas from the first series painted in 1891 was sold for $ 31M by Sotheby's on November 13, 2023, lot 15, The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Grok thought :
Quote
Michael Bouhanna @michaelbouhanna Dec 19, 2023
Claude Monet, Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, temps couvert, 1891 $30.8 million (Sotheby’s New York)
Grok thought :
Quote
Michael Bouhanna @michaelbouhanna Dec 19, 2023
Claude Monet, Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, temps couvert, 1891 $30.8 million (Sotheby’s New York)
- This post features Claude Monet's 1891 impressionist landscape "Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, temps couvert," depicting tall poplars along the Epte River under diffused overcast light, sold for $30.8 million at Sotheby's November 2023 New York auction, slightly above its $30 million low estimate.
- Part of a thread by Sotheby's VP Michael Bouhanna recapping 2023's top sales, this Monet ranks among 20+ highlights including Basquiat's $42 million self-portrait and the $38.1 million Codex Sassoon manuscript, showcasing the firm's $1.4 billion total auction volume.
- The painting, from the historic Palmer collection, exemplifies Monet's serial approach to capturing atmospheric effects, with its sale reflecting sustained demand for impressionism amid a 2023 art market contraction of 4% globally per UBS/Art Basel reports.
4
W1301
2011 SOLD for $ 22.5M by Christie's
The largest opus from the whole set, oil on canvas 117 x 73 cm with no subtitle, was sold for $ 22.5M by Christie's on May 4, 2011, lot 16. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
It is in its original condition, having never been varnished.
It is in its original condition, having never been varnished.
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1891 Concarneau by Signac
2022 SOLD for $ 39M by Christie's
Paul Signac had succeeded in 1884 in convincing Georges Seurat that intense lights bring a much better effect to the divisionniste technique. Seurat names this variant the chromo-luminarisme and tries it in 1885 at seaside.
While Seurat had selected a resort in Normandy, Signac, a great lover of yachting, prefers Brittany. A 60 x 92 cm view of the sunny seaside at Portrieux painted in 1888 by Signac was sold for $ 13.8M by Christie's on May 6, 2018.
In March 1891 Seurat suddenly dies at 31 years old. Signac, very shocked, tries unsuccessfully to promote the art of his late friend. He leaves Paris in summer to change his mind with his new boat, the Olympia.
Signac painted in Concarneau a series of five oil on canvas in pointillist style collectively titled La Mer : Les Barques. Each of them was subtitled with the name of a musical movement as a direct reference to harmony : scherzo, larghetto, allegro maestoso, adagio, presto finale. The gently rippling water reminds the lines of a music sheet.
The famous city walls appear in the scherzo. The neat composition had been influenced by a recent exhibition of Japanese prints including seascapes by Hiroshige.
The Larghetto features the calm in the morning. It was sold for $ 39M from a lower estimate of $ 28M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 6. The gently rippling sea is animated from foreground to horizon by the yellow, orange and white sails of the sardine boats, a speciality of that fishing village. Seagulls fly in the clear sky.
While Seurat had selected a resort in Normandy, Signac, a great lover of yachting, prefers Brittany. A 60 x 92 cm view of the sunny seaside at Portrieux painted in 1888 by Signac was sold for $ 13.8M by Christie's on May 6, 2018.
In March 1891 Seurat suddenly dies at 31 years old. Signac, very shocked, tries unsuccessfully to promote the art of his late friend. He leaves Paris in summer to change his mind with his new boat, the Olympia.
Signac painted in Concarneau a series of five oil on canvas in pointillist style collectively titled La Mer : Les Barques. Each of them was subtitled with the name of a musical movement as a direct reference to harmony : scherzo, larghetto, allegro maestoso, adagio, presto finale. The gently rippling water reminds the lines of a music sheet.
The famous city walls appear in the scherzo. The neat composition had been influenced by a recent exhibition of Japanese prints including seascapes by Hiroshige.
The Larghetto features the calm in the morning. It was sold for $ 39M from a lower estimate of $ 28M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 6. The gently rippling sea is animated from foreground to horizon by the yellow, orange and white sails of the sardine boats, a speciality of that fishing village. Seagulls fly in the clear sky.
#AuctionRecord From the Paul G. Allen Collection Paul Signac’s ‘Concarneau, calme du matin’
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) November 10, 2022
set an auction record for the artist with a price realized of $39.32 million pic.twitter.com/OH4hylruuC
1891 Jeune Homme à la Fleur by Gauguin
2015 SOLD for $ 13.6M by Christie's
Looking for the conditions of primitive life, Paul Gauguin was severely disappointed and even felt deceived when he arrived at Papeete in June 1891 : the capital of French Polynesia was already much Europeanized and populated with colonials, in his own words the very thing which he had desired to flee. He relocated at Mataeia, a tiny seaside village 65 km away.
His creativity was blocked for a while. By the end of the year he had nevertheless filled a sketchbook and painted about 20 Polynesian subjects.
A young handsome man was named Jotefa by the artist whom he led as a boy servant for picking the best wood for his sculptures. He is the jeune homme à la fleur, represented in bust length in a three quarter view. He has a white blossom on his ear as a symbol of the mysteries and the purity of local life.
This oil on canvas 45 x 34 cm was owned by Matisse from 1900 to 1915, the key period for his artistic development. It was sold for $ 13.6M from a lower estimate of $ 12M by Christie's on November 9, 2015, lot 6A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
His creativity was blocked for a while. By the end of the year he had nevertheless filled a sketchbook and painted about 20 Polynesian subjects.
A young handsome man was named Jotefa by the artist whom he led as a boy servant for picking the best wood for his sculptures. He is the jeune homme à la fleur, represented in bust length in a three quarter view. He has a white blossom on his ear as a symbol of the mysteries and the purity of local life.
This oil on canvas 45 x 34 cm was owned by Matisse from 1900 to 1915, the key period for his artistic development. It was sold for $ 13.6M from a lower estimate of $ 12M by Christie's on November 9, 2015, lot 6A. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
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1891 Fille à la Fourrure by Lautrec
1990 SOLD for $ 13M by Christie's
Fille à la Fourrure, Mademoiselle Jeanne Fontaine, oil on panel 68 x 53 cm painted in 1891 by Toulouse-Lautrec, was sold for $ 13M by Christie's on May 15, 1990.
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Femme assise de profil vers la gauche, oil and peinture à l'essence on board 73 x 41 cm painted by Lautrec in 1890, was withdrawn before a sale by Christie's on November 17, 2025, lot 63A.
Asking Grok to compare it with Fille à la fourrure, sold by Christie's on May 15, 1990.
Grok thought (note that the details for Fille à la fourrure have been transferred to the entry below about that painting).
Overview of the Artworks
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a key figure in Post-Impressionism, created intimate portraits of Parisian life in the late 19th century. The two works in question—"Femme assise de profil vers la gauche" (1890) and "Fille à la fourrure" (also known as "Girl in a Fur, Mademoiselle Jeanne Fontaine," 1891)—are both oil paintings from his early mature period, capturing female subjects with his characteristic loose brushwork and focus on modern urban subjects. While they share similarities in timing, medium, and style, they differ in composition, subject presentation, and market history.
Details on "Femme assise de profil vers la gauche"
Subject and Pose
Femme assise : Seated woman in strict left-facing profile, emphasizing silhouette and introspection.
Jeanne : Frontal portrait of Mademoiselle Jeanne Fontaine, with a downward gaze, more direct and personal.
Clothing and ColorsR
Femme assise : Red outfit dominates; vibrant yet restrained palette highlighting form.
Jeanne : Fur garment adds texture; muted earth tones and greens for a softer, more subdued feel.
Composition and Style
Femme assise : Tall, narrow format; fluid brushwork focusing on contour and modernity, intimate but detached.
Jeanne : Squarer format; bold, sketchy strokes in Post-Impressionist style, with a study-like quality tied to cabaret themes.
Size
Femme assise : 73 x 40.6 cm (taller and narrower).
Jeanne : 68 x 53 cm (wider, more balanced).
Market Value
Femme assise : Estimated USD 6M–9M for 2025 sale; reflects current market for Lautrec's lesser-known profiles.
Jeanne : Sold for USD 13M in 1990 (~USD 32M today); higher adjusted value possibly due to its status as a study for iconic scenes and named model.
Significance
Feme assise : Represents Lautrec's early exploration of anonymous urban women; exhibited widely but not tied to specific narratives.
Jeanne : Linked to Lautrec's cabaret works; features a identifiable model, adding historical context to Parisian nightlife.
These works exemplify Lautrec's interest in female subjects from Montmartre's bohemian world, often models or performers captured in candid moments. The profile view in "Femme assise" creates a sense of distance, while "Fille à la fourrure" feels more engaging due to its frontal orientation and fur detail. Market-wise, the 1990 sale of "Fille" set a benchmark for Lautrec portraits at the time, though the lower estimate for "Femme assise" may reflect differences in recognition, condition, or current demand for profile studies versus those with narrative ties. Both highlight his innovative use of color and form to convey personality without idealization.
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Femme assise de profil vers la gauche, oil and peinture à l'essence on board 73 x 41 cm painted by Lautrec in 1890, was withdrawn before a sale by Christie's on November 17, 2025, lot 63A.
Asking Grok to compare it with Fille à la fourrure, sold by Christie's on May 15, 1990.
Grok thought (note that the details for Fille à la fourrure have been transferred to the entry below about that painting).
Overview of the Artworks
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a key figure in Post-Impressionism, created intimate portraits of Parisian life in the late 19th century. The two works in question—"Femme assise de profil vers la gauche" (1890) and "Fille à la fourrure" (also known as "Girl in a Fur, Mademoiselle Jeanne Fontaine," 1891)—are both oil paintings from his early mature period, capturing female subjects with his characteristic loose brushwork and focus on modern urban subjects. While they share similarities in timing, medium, and style, they differ in composition, subject presentation, and market history.
Details on "Femme assise de profil vers la gauche"
- Artist and Date: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1890.
- Medium and Dimensions: Oil and peinture à l'essence on board, 73 x 40.6 cm (28 ¾ x 16 in.).
- Signature: Signed and dated 'HT Lautrec 90' upper left.
- Description: The painting depicts a seated woman in profile, facing left. She wears a red outfit, which dominates the color palette, evoking a sense of intimacy and modernity. The brushwork is fluid and expressive, typical of Lautrec's style, with a focus on form and contour rather than fine detail. The background is subdued, emphasizing the subject's pose and silhouette.
- Provenance: Originated with Maurice Guilbert in Paris, passed through Otto Gerstenberg in Berlin, and later owned by the Lasker family in New York before being acquired by the Blaquier Family in 1978.
- Exhibition History: Likely shown in early 1890s exhibitions under titles like "En meublé"; later at venues including the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1956) and Wildenstein & Co. (1964).
- Current Sale: Offered at Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale in New York on November 17, 2025, as Lot 63A, with an estimate of USD 6,000,000–9,000,000.
- Artist and Date: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1891.
- Medium and Dimensions: Oil on panel, approximately 68 x 53 cm (26.8 x 20.8 in.).
- Description: The painting portrays Mademoiselle Jeanne Fontaine, a known model, frontally with a fur garment (likely a collar or wrap) adding texture and luxury to her attire. The composition centers on her figure, with subdued colors—earth tones, muted greens, and highlights in the fur—creating a contemplative mood. Lautrec's brushwork is bold and sketch-like, capturing the subject's facial features with minimalism, emphasizing her downward gaze and naturalistic expression. The background is simple and abstract, drawing attention to the intimate, everyday quality of the scene. It serves as a study for a larger work related to scenes at the Moulin de la Galette or similar Parisian venues.
- Provenance and Exhibition History: Specific details are limited in available records, but it has been referenced in private collections and as part of Lautrec's studies for cabaret scenes. It was sold at Christie's in 1990.
- Past Sale: Sold at Christie's on May 15, 1990, for USD 13,000,000. Adjusted for inflation, this equates to approximately USD 32,224,086 in 2025 dollars.
Subject and Pose
Femme assise : Seated woman in strict left-facing profile, emphasizing silhouette and introspection.
Jeanne : Frontal portrait of Mademoiselle Jeanne Fontaine, with a downward gaze, more direct and personal.
Clothing and ColorsR
Femme assise : Red outfit dominates; vibrant yet restrained palette highlighting form.
Jeanne : Fur garment adds texture; muted earth tones and greens for a softer, more subdued feel.
Composition and Style
Femme assise : Tall, narrow format; fluid brushwork focusing on contour and modernity, intimate but detached.
Jeanne : Squarer format; bold, sketchy strokes in Post-Impressionist style, with a study-like quality tied to cabaret themes.
Size
Femme assise : 73 x 40.6 cm (taller and narrower).
Jeanne : 68 x 53 cm (wider, more balanced).
Market Value
Femme assise : Estimated USD 6M–9M for 2025 sale; reflects current market for Lautrec's lesser-known profiles.
Jeanne : Sold for USD 13M in 1990 (~USD 32M today); higher adjusted value possibly due to its status as a study for iconic scenes and named model.
Significance
Feme assise : Represents Lautrec's early exploration of anonymous urban women; exhibited widely but not tied to specific narratives.
Jeanne : Linked to Lautrec's cabaret works; features a identifiable model, adding historical context to Parisian nightlife.
These works exemplify Lautrec's interest in female subjects from Montmartre's bohemian world, often models or performers captured in candid moments. The profile view in "Femme assise" creates a sense of distance, while "Fille à la fourrure" feels more engaging due to its frontal orientation and fur detail. Market-wise, the 1990 sale of "Fille" set a benchmark for Lautrec portraits at the time, though the lower estimate for "Femme assise" may reflect differences in recognition, condition, or current demand for profile studies versus those with narrative ties. Both highlight his innovative use of color and form to convey personality without idealization.
1891 Baigneuse by Renoir
2025 SOLD for $ 10.4M by Christie's
Baigneuse, oil on canvas 81 x 65 cm painted in 1891 by Renoir, was sold for $ 10.4M from a lower estimate of $ 7.5M by Christie's on November 17, 2025, lot 23A. She is pretty in her relaxed nudity with her face in full profile, in the nuanced fall of outdoor light on her bare skin. She is fully grown with a nice childish expression.
Baigneuse assise sur un rocher, oil on canvas 81 x 65 cm painted by Renoir in 1892, was sold for $ 8.7M by Sotheby's on May 19, 2026, lot 30. The video is shared by the auction house.
Renoir's Baigneuses series celebrates the female form through soft, luminous Impressionist brushwork, evoking innocent nudity and sweet femininity. These works often show young women in natural outdoor settings—bathing, resting by water, or in verdant landscapes—blending sensuality with a timeless, everyday grace rather than overt eroticism or mythology.
Renoir drew inspiration from classical and Renaissance nudes (Titian, Ingres) but infused them with modern, plein-air light and color. After his "Ingresque" phase in the 1880s (e.g., the monumental Les Grandes Baigneuses), he returned to softer, more painterly touches in the early 1890s, emphasizing rosy skin tones, harmonious palettes, and the fusion of the figure with surrounding nature. The women appear unselfconscious, harmonious with their environment, embodying an "everyday eternity."
Sotheby's Example: Baigneuse assise sur un rocher (1892)
This painting, from the Durand-Ruel family collection (acquired directly from Renoir in 1892), is a prime example in the upcoming Modern Evening Auction (May 19, 2026, New York; estimate $8–12 million).
Comparison with Christie's Baigneuse (1891, Lot 23A)
This work (oil on canvas, 81 × 65 cm, signed and dated 'Renoir. 91.') comes from the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art collection.
These paintings highlight Renoir's mastery in portraying the female nude as a natural, vibrant part of the landscape, full of light and life. The Sotheby's example, with its pristine provenance, is especially significant.
This combination of a fully developed adult body with a soft, childish or childlike face is a deliberate and highly significant feature in Renoir’s Baigneuses series, especially in the early 1890s single-figure works like the ones discussed.
Renoir idealized a vision of eternal youth and innocent femininity. His bathers embody a timeless, harmonious sensuality that feels natural and unselfconscious—blending voluptuous, mature physicality with the fresh, rounded features, small features, and wide-eyed softness associated with girlhood. This creates an effect that is sensual yet non-threatening, erotic yet chaste, evoking a kind of "perpetual springtime" of femininity.
Key Aspects of This Theme
Baigneuse assise sur un rocher, oil on canvas 81 x 65 cm painted by Renoir in 1892, was sold for $ 8.7M by Sotheby's on May 19, 2026, lot 30. The video is shared by the auction house.
Renoir's Baigneuses series celebrates the female form through soft, luminous Impressionist brushwork, evoking innocent nudity and sweet femininity. These works often show young women in natural outdoor settings—bathing, resting by water, or in verdant landscapes—blending sensuality with a timeless, everyday grace rather than overt eroticism or mythology.
Renoir drew inspiration from classical and Renaissance nudes (Titian, Ingres) but infused them with modern, plein-air light and color. After his "Ingresque" phase in the 1880s (e.g., the monumental Les Grandes Baigneuses), he returned to softer, more painterly touches in the early 1890s, emphasizing rosy skin tones, harmonious palettes, and the fusion of the figure with surrounding nature. The women appear unselfconscious, harmonious with their environment, embodying an "everyday eternity."
Sotheby's Example: Baigneuse assise sur un rocher (1892)
This painting, from the Durand-Ruel family collection (acquired directly from Renoir in 1892), is a prime example in the upcoming Modern Evening Auction (May 19, 2026, New York; estimate $8–12 million).
- Details: Oil on canvas, 81.2 × 65 cm (32 × 25½ in.), signed and dated 'Renoir. 92.' (lower right).
- Provenance: Straight from the artist to his key dealer Paul Durand-Ruel; remained in the family.
- Exhibitions/Literature: Widely shown (e.g., Grand Palais retrospectives) and documented in major catalogues raisonné (Dauberville, forthcoming Wildenstein Plattner Institute digital version).
Comparison with Christie's Baigneuse (1891, Lot 23A)
This work (oil on canvas, 81 × 65 cm, signed and dated 'Renoir. 91.') comes from the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art collection.
- Similarities: Nearly identical size and very close dates (1891 vs. 1892). Both show a single young female bather in a verdant outdoor setting by water, with soft Impressionist handling, rosy flesh tones, and a natural, unposed feel. Both were handled by Durand-Ruel early on and exhibited in overlapping contexts (e.g., titled variations like Baigneuse assise).
- Likely same sitter/model? Highly probable. Renoir frequently used the same models across closely dated works in this series. The pose (seated, profile or three-quarter view, relaxed by water/rock), hair, body type, and overall treatment align closely with his early-1890s single-bather studies. The near-identical dimensions and sequential dates support them as companion or sequential studies of the same woman.
These paintings highlight Renoir's mastery in portraying the female nude as a natural, vibrant part of the landscape, full of light and life. The Sotheby's example, with its pristine provenance, is especially significant.
This combination of a fully developed adult body with a soft, childish or childlike face is a deliberate and highly significant feature in Renoir’s Baigneuses series, especially in the early 1890s single-figure works like the ones discussed.
Renoir idealized a vision of eternal youth and innocent femininity. His bathers embody a timeless, harmonious sensuality that feels natural and unselfconscious—blending voluptuous, mature physicality with the fresh, rounded features, small features, and wide-eyed softness associated with girlhood. This creates an effect that is sensual yet non-threatening, erotic yet chaste, evoking a kind of "perpetual springtime" of femininity.
Key Aspects of This Theme
- Inspiration from Tradition and Personal Ideal: Renoir drew from classical and Renaissance sources (Raphael, Ingres, Titian, Rubens), where nudes often combined ripe bodies with youthful, idealized faces to represent beauty, fertility, and the eternal feminine. He modernized this through Impressionist light and color, making the figures feel like living, breathing women in nature rather than allegories. His own life reinforced this: after marrying Aline Charigot (much younger than him) and becoming a father, he increasingly celebrated maternal, youthful vitality and the "velvety flesh" of youth.
- Artistic Effect: The childish facial features—soft contours, small mouth, gentle expression, averted or dreamy gaze—heighten the sense of innocence and vulnerability. This contrasts with the ample, glowing adult body to produce a tender, almost protective sensuality. Critics and curators often describe these figures as "innocent yet sensual" or "charming nude[s]" with an "innocent auburn-haired model." The face suggests purity and spontaneity, while the body celebrates abundance and life force.
- Broader Theme in Renoir’s Work: This motif appears across his portraits of young women and children. He sought to capture "youth in its eternal prime," using pearl-like skin tones and luminous color to make his subjects appear ageless and harmonious with nature. It reflects his optimistic, life-affirming worldview—joy in everyday beauty, rejection of urban modernity’s harshness in favor of a verdant, timeless idyll.
1891 Squelette arrêtant Masques by Ensor
2016 SOLD for € 7.4M by Sotheby's
The expression of social mockery by pictorial art cannot be welcomed by the public at the end of the 19th century. James Ensor behaves in the opposite to any other artist. When he sees his works refused in exhibitions, he withdraws to his hometown of Ostend where he chooses the most suitable themes to shock the bourgeois. Many years later, when he will become famous and recognized, he will also stop painting.
The young artist is a very good connoisseur of ancient art. The Entrance of Christ in Brussels, painted in 1889, is an anarchist-inspired crowd scene in a theme in the follow of Bosch and Bruegel.
Ensor lives for his art without providing information about his private life, but he likes to introduce his real image amidst the carnival masks. The danses macabres (dances of death) inspire him and his skeletons are indeed self-portraits. He is tall and handsome. The hussar with a dead's head who dominates the other characters in the scene is him again.
James Ensor introduces in his art riddles and messages to be decoded. The small oil on canvas 16 x 21 cm entitled Squelettes se disputant un hareng (skeletons contesting a herring) painted in 1891 is a masterpiece of Surrealism a quarter of a century before the creation of that movement. There is no difference in French pronunciation between hareng saur and Art Ensor.
An oil on canvas 30 x 51 cm has just surfaced. Entitled Squelette arrêtant masques (skeleton stopping masks), this oil on canvas had long been kept by the artist who gave it to a friend. Emile Verhaeren had listed it in Ensor's studio in 1908 but it had never been photographed or exhibited. It was sold for € 7.4M from a lower estimate of € 1M by Sotheby's on December 7, 2016, lot 11.
Squelette arrêtant masques was painted in 1891 and displays high similarities in style with Squelettes se disputant un hareng : the characters are seen half length leaving all the top part of the picture for a superb Ostend sky.
The scene shows seven masks typical of the carnival of Ostend opposed to the hussar who manages to repel them. Their opposition is social : we do not know which sordid truth every mask can hide or which actual role the good bourgeois of Ostend wishes to play during the carnival. The soldier's skull shows his reality, it is the opposite of the mask. This skeleton lives his own life within a derisory and rejectable world, as the artist himself is doing.
Squelette arrêtant masques is signed ENSOR accompanied by a red ace of spades that seems single in the art of Ensor and has not been explained. In my opinion, this ace designates the artist as the champion of his own dissenting opinions. The spades card (in French : pique) is a military symbol that reinforces the identification of the hussar as a self-portrait. Red is the symbol of the revolution for the socialists.
The young artist is a very good connoisseur of ancient art. The Entrance of Christ in Brussels, painted in 1889, is an anarchist-inspired crowd scene in a theme in the follow of Bosch and Bruegel.
Ensor lives for his art without providing information about his private life, but he likes to introduce his real image amidst the carnival masks. The danses macabres (dances of death) inspire him and his skeletons are indeed self-portraits. He is tall and handsome. The hussar with a dead's head who dominates the other characters in the scene is him again.
James Ensor introduces in his art riddles and messages to be decoded. The small oil on canvas 16 x 21 cm entitled Squelettes se disputant un hareng (skeletons contesting a herring) painted in 1891 is a masterpiece of Surrealism a quarter of a century before the creation of that movement. There is no difference in French pronunciation between hareng saur and Art Ensor.
An oil on canvas 30 x 51 cm has just surfaced. Entitled Squelette arrêtant masques (skeleton stopping masks), this oil on canvas had long been kept by the artist who gave it to a friend. Emile Verhaeren had listed it in Ensor's studio in 1908 but it had never been photographed or exhibited. It was sold for € 7.4M from a lower estimate of € 1M by Sotheby's on December 7, 2016, lot 11.
Squelette arrêtant masques was painted in 1891 and displays high similarities in style with Squelettes se disputant un hareng : the characters are seen half length leaving all the top part of the picture for a superb Ostend sky.
The scene shows seven masks typical of the carnival of Ostend opposed to the hussar who manages to repel them. Their opposition is social : we do not know which sordid truth every mask can hide or which actual role the good bourgeois of Ostend wishes to play during the carnival. The soldier's skull shows his reality, it is the opposite of the mask. This skeleton lives his own life within a derisory and rejectable world, as the artist himself is doing.
Squelette arrêtant masques is signed ENSOR accompanied by a red ace of spades that seems single in the art of Ensor and has not been explained. In my opinion, this ace designates the artist as the champion of his own dissenting opinions. The spades card (in French : pique) is a military symbol that reinforces the identification of the hussar as a self-portrait. Red is the symbol of the revolution for the socialists.
