247 - THE CIRCLE OR STUDIO OF PIERRE AUGUSTE RENOIR (1841–1919)

THE CIRCLE OR STUDIO OF PIERRE AUGUSTE RENOIR (1841–1919) View of Haut-de-Cagnes and the Collettes Hill with Cypress Trees Sketch, oil on canvas mounted on cardboard. This luminous panoramic study captures the slope of the Cagnes hill bathed in the light of late afternoon. On the left, dominating the horizon, stands the fortified silhouette of Château Grimaldi, flanked by its characteristic quadrangular tower. The center of the composition is punctuated by tall trees in golden-brown hues and a row of dark, tapered cypresses—typical of Mediterranean flora—that run vertically across the scene. The earth, rendered in shades of red ochre and salmon pink, reflects the warmth of the southern French soil. The brushwork is very soft and fluid in the depiction of the gray-blue sky, contrasting with the more vigorous and vibrant impasto of the vegetation in the foreground. Dimensions: 17.5 x 27.5 cm.