Ambroise Vollard, Paris
Galerie de l'Art Moderne, Paris
Acquired from the above by the family of the present owner in the 1950s

Geneva, Musée de l'Athenée, De l'impressionisme à nos jours, 1960

Ambroise Vollard, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Tableaux, pastels et dessins, Paris, 1989, vol. II, no. 1461, illustrated p. 301

The canvas is lined and there is no evidence of retouching visible under UV light. There are a few fly spots scattered throughout the composition. This work is in overall good condition.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Nature Morte au Fruits is a rare gem among Renoir's still-life paintings, not least because it embodies the artist's novel approach and sentiment towards natures mortes. Praising the genre for its freedom, Renoir states: 'What seems to me most significant about our movement [Impressionism] is that we have freed painting from the importance of the subject. I am at liberty to paint flowers and call them flowers, without needing to tell a story' (quoted in Peter Mitchell, European Flower Paintings, London, 1973, pp. 211-12). This rare work also showcases Renoir's creative ingenuity in capturing light and shadow, freeing him from the trompe l'œil techniques which had been utilised by artists for centuries, relying upon his initial impressions to capture this rich and sensitive image.