The artwork titled “Portrait of Edmond Renoir, Jr.” is an oil on canvas created by the renowned French impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1888. As a quintessential example of the Impressionist movement in art, this portrait genre painting is currently housed within a private collection.
The artwork portrays a delicate representation of a youthful figure presumed to be Edmond Renoir, Jr., the son of the artist. The warm tones of the background complement the subject’s fair complexion and soft, golden hair. The brushwork flirts with abstraction while still capturing an unmistakable likeness and vitality. The subject’s gaze is diverted away from the viewer, granting a candidness to the composition. Light and shadow are expertly handled to suggest depth, playing across the facial features and clothing, indicative of Renoir’s skill in capturing the nuanced effects of light. This portrait is a tender personal document rendered with the loose brushstrokes and luminosity that characterize Renoir’s contribution to Impressionism.
