Portrait de Claude Renoir - de Trois Quarts à Droite. Portrait of the artist's son Claude Renoir - Three-quarter by Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1841-1919

Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1841-1919
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Portrait de Claude Renoir - de Trois Quarts à Droite. Portrait of the artist's son Claude Renoir - Three-quarter

Original softground etching with pure etching in black ink. c.1908. Signed with the stamp signature. (This stamp was applied by Renoir's sons to works in his studio at his death - see Lugt ref 2137b). Early impression (c.1910-15) before the reprinted edition of 100. Rare in early impressions, especially with the stamp.
Ref: Delteil - Renoir Peintre Graveur 18. Stella - Renoir 18

Extremely fine impression with a lightly wiped plate tone. On cream laid antique-type paper. Excellent condition. 1 1/2 - 2 1/2inch margins. Sheet: 11 x 8 3/8ins. Plate: 6 ½ x 5 1/8ins (165x130mm)

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It is rare to find impressions of this print with the stamped signature. This particular stamp was mostly used for drawings in the studio at the time of Renoir's death; it was only rarely applied to his prints.

Renoir also used softground etching, (see No. 35 opposite), as a medium for this study of Claude his younger son, drawn around 1908. It further emphasises the way that Renoir continued to seek to express form in terms of the pattern of light and shadow rather of defined contour. In this study Renoir also made quite extensive use of pure etching as a counterpoint to the tone of the softground and this has resulted in a handling of the tone values which is particularly beautiful.

It was while visiting his friend the painter Victor Roux-Champion in the South of France around 1908 that Renoir drew this etching. It appears that only a very few proofs if any were pulled at that time. At some date towards the end of Renoir's life a few impressions were pulled. Then in about 1924 an edition of 100 was printed and largely acquired by the dealer Sagot. These impressions are numbered in two groups of 50 on differing papers. This unnumbered impression, but with the stamp, almost certainly comes from the first group of proofs. All impressions are now rather rare.