Portrait of Jeanne Durand-Ruel (Portrait de Mlle. J.)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

During the early decades of his career, Pierre-Auguste Renoir supported himself doing portrait commissions. This little girl is the daughter of Paul Durand-Ruel, the great impressionist dealer from whom Albert Barnes bought almost half his Renoirs. The painting is a good example of how Renoir seemed to embrace the traditions of painting while also pushing against them: the colors are experimental and modern—note the sweeps of purple in the girl's hair—while the overall format recalls the conventions of 17th-century court portraiture.

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