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DISCUSSION:
A warm and loving depiction of a group of three women, the delicate soft appearance of these portraits evokes a sense of the romanticism and sensitivity put forth by Renoir in this piece. The watercolor wash effect creates a fluid layering of tones, giving depth and richness to the image.

Created in c.1904, this piece was printed on Japon paper from the extremely rare deluxe edition of only 50. The luxurious handmade Japan paper is a heavyweight organic medium, which produces darker and more saturated impressions than the traditional vellum. In addition, the piece has deckle, or hand-torn edges, which accentuate the texture and quality of the paper and print. This work was printed by Ambroise Vollard in 1919 for the Album des douze lithographies originales de Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Printed by Auguste Clot, Paris, this work is signed in the stone in the lower left. All of the stones were de-faced after the publication, as documented by Joseph Stella.

Three women are arranged with one portrait encompassing the majority of the left side, and two busts in the upper right. The woman at the left grabs the viewer, with the deep rich dark tones of her hair and intent shading within her face. Given a soft expression, she looks below to what we cannot see adding intrigue and a mysterious air to the work. The two smaller figures recede back into space, each with their heads tilted in the same direction, as though all three are examining the same thing out of our sight. With a romantic air, created through the use of layering washes of tones, the loose quality of the imagery gives a sense of freshness and immediacy of Renoir’s impression of the figures. The artist’s technical skill and mastery is evident in this work, expressing his strong sense of form and aesthetic beauty.

ABOUT THE FRAMING
Conservation framed with museum quality archival materials, this work is float mounted on archival white linen in an ornate gold leaf Baroque inspired frame. The sculptural layers of floral motifs add a sense of grandeur and highlight the importance of this piece. The gold tone of the moulding accentuates and enhances the subtle and contrasting tones in this work. Completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind an archival Plexiglas® cover. A gold plaque below the image is engraved ‘Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1841-1919’.