PARIS: A rarely seen painting by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, depicting his son and his nursemaid, was sold for $1.68 million at an auction held by Drouot on Tuesday in Paris.
Painted around 1895, the piece, titled “Child with Toys - Gabrielle and the Artist’s Son, Jean” was given by the painter to Jeanne Baudot, his only student and close friend. It has remained in her family ever since. Renoir was a leading figure of the impressionist movement that overhauled art in the late 19th century.
The sale price was modest compared to the record for impressionism set by one of Claude Monet’s celebrated “Haystacks” series that fetched $110.7 million in 2023.
The work depicts the artist’s son, Jean Renoir, and his nursemaid, Gabrielle Renard. She was one of the painter’s favourite models, posing in nearly 200 paintings, said auctioneer Christophe Joron-Derem. “It is a masterpiece of intimacy. We see this very tender relationship between Jean Renoir and Gabrielle, who knows how to control the child so that Renoir can paint him,”
Joron-Derem said. Agencies