Reclining Nude (Gabrielle) Auguste Renoir

One of the most celebrated French impressionists, Auguste Renoir is renowned as a painter of joie de vivre. In his cheerful genre scenes and his delightful portraits, the human figure takes centre stage, and throughout his career he kept returning to the genre of the nude.
In this impressive, almost lifesize painting titled Reclining Nude, Renoir pays homage to the great masters of the genre, above all Titian and Ingres, while maintaining his own sensual touch. Gabrielle Renard was one of the artist’s favourite models, and the inspiration for many of his later masterpieces. The complete bond of trust they shared is evident in the woman’s calm openness, her direct gaze, and the confident proximity of her body. The work was painted in 1903 and first exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in Paris in 1905, where Renoir, unlike the avant-garde members of the younger generation, was an established exponent of the modern tradition, yet still capable of breaking new ground. Since then, this oustanding nude was shown in many important exhibitions around the world, including the 1907 winter exhibition of the National Salon in Budapest. This nude has since become one of the best-known compositions in his œuvre, and was bought by the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest in 2019.