Private Collection, France (acquired by the 1950s)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Bernheim-Jeune (ed.), L'Atelier de Renoir, Paris, 1931, vol. II, no. 629, illustrated pl. 197

The canvas is not lined and there does not appear to be any retouching visible under UV light. This work is in overall very good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue, though the colours are slightly more saturated and brighter in the original.
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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."

In 1907 Renoir bought 'Les Collettes', a farmhouse with surrounding land near Cagnes, and settled there until the end of his life. His paintings reflected this change in lifestyle, in that the brushwork became freer and warmer, and scenes of country life were regularly recorded in small compositions. Portraying figures in landscape had fascinated Renoir throughout his life, particularly after befriending Berthe Morisot in the 1880s and seeing her paintings of women working on the land, but his move to the South of France re-ignited his interest in this subject. In the present work, the overall effect is one of idyllic tranquility. One young woman gently casts her line, clearly in an act of leisure versus toil, while the seated figure appears absorbed in a book or handicraft.

The vibr♉ancy of the present work is enhanced by the contrast of the pink tones dominant in the figures, which stand out against the green tones of the lush countryside in the background and the blue stream. The dappled light falling onto these figures lends a transient atmo⛎sphere to the work, and breathes life into the two women.