Pierre-Auguste Renoir
French, 1841 - 1919Coco, 1904
On view
Oil on canvas
Dimensions13 1/4 × 13 1/4 in. (33.7 × 33.7 cm)
Image: 20 1/2 × 20 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (52.1 × 52.1 × 8.9 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Mott, 1980.50
When Pierre-Auguste Renoir was 60 years old, his youngest son Claude (1901–1969) was born. Nicknamed “Coco,” Claude became one of his father’s favorite subjects. While Coco’s long blonde hair and pink bow suggest that we are looking at a portrait of a little girl, in the 19th and early 20th century, young boys were sometimes dressed in this way. After the death of his wife Aline in 1915, Renoir sunk into a deep depression. From then on, he and Coco became almost inseparable, with Coco assuming responsibility for his father’s care.
As a leading exponent of French Impressionism, Renoir is best known for his sensitive interpretation of light. This charming portrait demonstrates his preoccupation with light effects. Particularly telling is the sumptuous rendering of Claude’s long golden hair. Contours and forms in space are not clearly defined, but are instead allowed to blend into color and light.
