Diana

1867

Auguste Renoir

Associated Names
Auguste Renoir
Artist, French, 1841 - 1919
A pale, nearly nude woman with dark hair sits on a mossy rock, holding an archer's bow, with a dead deer at her feet in this vertical painting. Her body is angled to our left and she looks down toward the animal with dark eyes. Her hair is pulled up, and her pale pink lips are closed. She is covered only by a light, celery-green cloth and rose-pink ribbon across her hips. She has full, round breasts and curving belly, hips, and thighs. The deer’s legs face the woman as it lies on the ground, but its head is pulled back at a dramatic angle into the lower left corner, seeping blood from the mouth and from a slash across its neck. A quiver of arrows lies to the woman’s right, farther from us, on the moss-covered rock on which she is seated. More boulders behind her create the impression of hills, nearly filling the composition. Trees grow up against a corner of pale blue sky above.

Media Options

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Renoir had his girlfriend Lise Tréhot pose as the ancient Roman goddess Diana. He chose a mythological subject and painted it at grand scale in hopes of getting this picture into the largest art show of the time, the Salon. But the jury rejected it. The realism of the sitter’s body and the bloody head of the dead deer at her feet must have been too much for them. Seven years later, Renoir would participate in the first impressionist exhibition. Although he continued submitting to the Salon, he generally exhibited in alternative spaces and dealer galleries.
 

On View
West Building, Main Floor, Gallery M90

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    Chester Dale Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 199.5 x 129.5 cm (78 9/16 x 51 in.)
    framed: 222.6 x 159.1 cm (87 5/8 x 62 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1963.10.205

More About this Artwork

Article:  1874: The Birth of Impressionism

Discover how a landmark exhibition led to the birth of an influential movement.

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Dr. George Viau [1855-1939], Paris; (his sale, Paris, 21 March 1907, no. 68); purchased by (Bernheim-Jeune, Paris) for an unknown buyer. Alexandre Berthier [1883-1918], 4th Prince de Wagram, Paris; sold probably by his heirs though (Canadeesche Hypothek Bank) through (Étienne Bignou, Paris) to (Alex Reid & Lefèvre, London); on joint account with (M. Knoedler & Co., London, New York and Paris) and (Marcel Kapferer);[1] sold 25 November 1929 to (Etienne Bignou, Paris and New York);[2] sold 16 January 1933 to Chester [1882-1962] and Maud [1875-1953] Dale, New York;[3] Chester Dale bequest 1963 to NGA.

[1] Reid & Lefèvre Paintings Sold, sheet no. 198, #2/29 B1394 gives acquisition source and partial share information (Lefèvre archives, Hyman Kreitman Research Centre, Tate Britain, London, TGA 2002/11, Box 283). An annotated photograph of the painting is included in the Bignou photo albums at the documentation center of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris (copy NGA curatorial files).

[2] M. Knoedler & Co. Records, accession number 2012.M.54, Research Library, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles: Painting Stockbook no. 5, London 1928-1939, and Stockbook no. 8, New York, no. A614 (copies in NGA curatorial files).

[3] The invoice from Bignou, dated November 1932, was written out to Mrs. Chester Dale. (NGA Gallery Archives, Chester and Maud Dale Papers, Artist & Dealer Files, Box 3, Folder 1, copy in NGA curatorial files).

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1900

  • Exposition A. Renoir, Galeries Bernheim Jeune et Fils, Paris, 1900, no. 40 as Diane chasseresse.

1913

  • Renoir, Bernheim-Jeune et Fils, Paris, 1913, no. 1.

1929

  • The Classical Period of Renoir, M. Knoedler & Co., New York, November 1929, no. X.

1933

  • A Century of Progress, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1933, no. 341.

1965

  • The Chester Dale Bequest, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1965, unnumbered checklist.

2010

  • From Impressionism to Modernism: The Chester Dale Collection, Washington, National Gallery of Art, January 2010-January 2012, unnumbered catalogue, repro.

2016

  • Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870) and The Birth of Impressionism, Musée Fabre, Montpelier; Musée d'Orsay, Paris; National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2016-2017, no. 125 (shown only in Washington).

Bibliography

1911

  • Meier-Graefe, Julius. Auguste Renoir. Munich, 1911:8-9, repro. p. 11.

1912

  • Meier-Graefe, Julius. Renoir. Paris, 1912: p. 7 repro.

1918

  • Vollard, Ambroise. Tableaux, Pastels & Dessins de Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Paris, 1918: p3, repro. 372.

1920

  • André, Albert. "Renoir." Kunst und Künstler. Berlin, 1920: repro. p. 474.

1924

  • Duret, Théodore. Renoir. Paris, 1924: repro. plate 2.

1925

  • Vollard, Ambroise. Renoir: An intimate Record. New York, 1925: 38.

  • Coquiot, Gustave. Renoir. Paris, 1925: 223.

1929

  • Meier-Graefe, Julius. Renoir. Leipzig, 1929: 20-22, repro. p. 17, no. 3.

  • "A Renoir Exhibition." The Burlington Magazine 55, no. 320 (November 1929):252, repro.

1933

  • "Chicago Show to Present French Modern Classics." Art News XXXI, no. 34 (May 20, 1933):repro. p. 1.

1935

  • Bertram, Anthony. August Renoir. London, 1935: repro. plate I.

  • Barnes, Albert C. and Violette de Mazia. The Art of Renoir. New York, 1935: no. 4.

1937

  • McBride, Henry. "The Renoirs in America: In Appreciation of the Metropolitan Museum's Exhibition," Art News 35, no. 31 (1 May 1937):60, repro.

  • Duret, Théodore. Renoir. New York, 1937: repro. 32

1938

  • Florisoone, Michel. Renior. Paris, 1938: 16.

1940

  • Wilenski, R.H. Modern French Painters. New York, 1940:18-19.

1941

  • Frankfurter, Alfred M. "Now the Great French 19th Century in the National Gallery." Art News 40, no. 17 (December 15-31, 1941):repro. p. 18

  • Catalogue of French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1941: 12, repro. XXII

1942

  • French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1942: 61, repro.

1944

  • Drucker, Michel. Renoir. Paris, 1944:17, 29, 111.

  • French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1944: 61, repro.

1946

  • Rewald, John. The History of Impressionism. New York, 1946: repro. 146.

1949

  • Chamson, André. Renoir. Lausanne, 1949:9, repro. pl. 3

1950

  • Pach, Walter. Pierre Auguste Renoir. New York, 1950: 36, repro.

  • A Loan Exhibition of Renoir for the Benefit of the New York Infirmary. Exh. cat. Wildenstein, New York, 1950: 24.

1952

  • Fox, Milton S. Renoir. New York, 1952: 9, repro.

1953

  • Berr de Turique, Marcelle. Renoir. Paris, c. 1953: 5.

  • French Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1953: 71, repro.

1954

  • Rouart, Denis. Renoir. Geneva, 1954: 18, repro.

1961

  • Rewald, John. The History of Impressionism. 3rd rev. ed., New York, 1961:repro. p. 166.

  • Fosca, François. Renoir, His Life and Work. London, 1961: repro. 11.

1963

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. New York, 1963 (reprinted 1964 in French, German, and Spanish): 324, repro.

1964

  • Perruchot, Henri. La vie de Renoir. Paris, 1964:47

1965

  • Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Paintings & Sculpture of the French School in the Chester Dale Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 107, repro.

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 113.

1967

  • Pool, Phoebe. Impressionism. London, 1967: repro. p. 50

1968

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 99, repro.

1971

  • Daulte, Francois. Auguste Renoir, catalogue raisonne de l'oeuvre peint. Vol.I. Figures 1860-1890. Lausanne, 1971: 26, 34, no. 30

1972

  • Fezzi, Elda. L'opera completa di Renoir nel period impressionista. Milan, 1972: no. 20.

1973

  • Champa, Kermit S. Studies in Early Impressionism. New Haven and London, 1973: 43, 44-49, 83, repro.

  • White, Barbara Ehrlich. "The Bathers of 1887 and Renoir's Anti-Impressionism," Art Bulletin 55, no. 1 (March 1973): 111

  • Rewald, John. The History of Impressionism. New York, 1973:1965, repro. 166.

1974

  • Fouchet, Max-Pol. Les Nus de Renoir. Paris and Lausanne, 1974:67, repro. 66.

1975

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 294, repro.

1976

  • Bellony-Rewald, Alice. The Lost World of the Impressionists. Boston, 1976: 44.

1980

  • Thomas, David. Renoir. London, 1980:6

1984

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 469, no. 684, color repro.

1985

  • Rouart, Denis. Renoir. Rev. ed., New York, 1985: 12, repro. 13.

  • Arts Council of Great Britain. Renoir. Exh. cat., Hayward Gallery , London, Galleries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1985-1986:180, repro.

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 339, repro.

1991

  • Kopper, Philip. America's National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation. New York, 1991: 8, color repro.

1993

  • Bajou, Valérie. Frédéric Bazille 1841-1870. Aix-en-Provence, 1993:101-102, repro. 103

1996

  • Roos, Jane Mayo. Early Impressionism and the French State (1866-1874). Cambridge, 1996: 84, fig. 63.

  • Sagner-Düchting, Karin. Renoir: Paris and the Belle Epoque. Munich, 1996:22, repro. 23.

1997

  • Druick, Douglas W. Renoir, Chicago, 1997, p. 19, no. 7, repro.

  • Kelder, Diane. The Great Book of French Impressionism, 1997, no. 214, repro.

1998

  • Pitman, Dianne W. Bazille: Purity, Pose, and Painting in the 1860s. The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1998: 58-60, repro. no. 29.

2004

  • Hand, John Oliver. National Gallery of Art: Master Paintings from the Collection. Washington and New York, 2004: 378-379, no. 312, color repro.

2007

  • Dauberville, Guy-Patrice, and Michel Dauberville. Renoir: Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles. 5 vols. Paris, 2007: 1:no. 578, repro.

2022

  • Galvez, Paul. Courbet’s Landscapes: The Origins of Modern Painting. New Haven, 2022: 134, 135-137, color fig. 58, 141.

Inscriptions

lower right: A. RENOIR 1867

Wikidata ID

Q20188694

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