Portrait of Ambroise Vollard - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Gift of Walter S. Brewster

"Portrait of Ambroise Vollard" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (c. 1904) Lithograph on ivory wove paper.

Commentary

"Portrait of Ambroise Vollard" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (c. 1904) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. T hemes to notice include lithograph. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Pierre-Auguste Renoir is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Pierre Auguste Renoir (French, 1841-1919) printed by Auguste Clot (French, 1858-1936) published by Ambroise Vollard (French, 1835-1939). The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as lithograph, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Lithograph on ivory wove paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 23.8 × 17 cm (9 3/8 × 6 3/4 in.); Sheet: 36.5 × 26.5 cm (14 3/8 × 10 7/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include lithograph. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/74907

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data