Head of Young Girl (Tête de jeune fille)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Renoir was interested in depicting scenes of pre-modern life, before the intervention of machines. The woman shown here, head bowed in concentration, is perhaps sewing or doing other work with her hands. Though we are given little information about her surroundings, a small patch of green and yellow suggests that she may be seated in a garden. Her black-brown hair, tied in a loose chignon, picks up the colors of her dress, apron, and lips—mauve, red, and white take over its description. Through these effects Renoir has captured the soft serenity of an unhurried moment.

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