Pierre-Auguste Renoir
As famous as Sarah Bernhardt in her day, Léontine Pauline Jeanne Samary was a successful actress at the Comédie-Française when she first sat for Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1877. Between 1877 and 1880 Renoir recorded the young soubrette’s features in oil and pastel at least a dozen times.
The Cincinnati Art Museum’s pastel of Mlle. Samary captures her vivacious personality. With its delicately rendered facial features and spontaneous handling of the medium, this is a striking example of Renoir’s Impressionist portraits. The actress leans on the arm of a chair covered with a red patterned fabric and holds a multicolored feather fan in her right hand. The triangular arrangement of her torso and the fluid contours of her limbs reinforce the serenity of the pose without the distracting theatrical trappings.
Have a great Thursday!
P.S. Read here about Sarah Bernhardt, the first artist superstar. <3