Auguste Rodin

Description

Auguste Rodin’s long hair and full beard frame an intent face in Auguste Renoir’s lithographic portrait. The head turns slightly to one side, giving the likeness a sense of attention beyond the edge of the image. A restrained indication of the shoulders leaves the face as the principal focus. Broad pale margins heighten that concentration, so that small changes in the dark marks around the eyes, mouth and beard become especially noticeable.

Made in 1900, the portrait presents Rodin as Renoir’s sitter, not as a second maker of the print. Lithography allows the drawn texture to remain soft while holding the distinctive shape of the sculptor’s features. The image avoids an elaborate studio setting or a catalogue of professional attributes. Its strength comes from the close encounter with a recognizable individual, conveyed through the balance of expression and economical drawing.

Read our guide to giclée prints, browse more Auguste Renoir prints, or explore Portrait of Séverine.