The artwork titled “Portrait of Therese Berard” is an oil on canvas painting from 1879 by the artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It belongs to the Impressionism art movement and is a portrait genre piece with dimensions of 47.2 x 55.9 cm. The painting is housed at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States.
The artwork portrays a young female sitter, who appears contemplative or reserved. Her face is rendered with a soft focus, a characteristic of the Impressionist technique that captures the interplay of light and color rather than the sharpness of detail. Her skin bears a warm tone, hinting at the natural flush of youth, and her cheeks are touched with a rosy hue.
She is depicted with long, flowing hair that cascades down her shoulder, adding to the sense of gentle movement within the piece. Renoir’s brush strokes impart a tactile quality to her hair, suggesting its texture. The subject’s clothing consists of a blouse with lace detailing at the collar and a dark ribbon, contributing an element of elegance to the otherwise humble apparel. Her gaze is averted slightly from the viewer, which, along with her expression, bestows a feeling of quiet introspection.
The background is executed with a blend of muted tones that do not compete with the figure, thus allowing the viewer’s focus to remain on the subject. This treatment of the background also exemplifies how Impressionist artists often blurred the distinction between the subject and their surroundings.
Renoir’s signature and the year of the painting’s creation are visibly inscribed in the upper right-hand corner, documenting the artist’s authorship and the period of its execution. Overall, the “Portrait of Therese Berard” showcases Renoir’s skill in capturing the essence of a moment and his subject’s character through the medium of paint.
