Renoir, Pierre-Auguste (1841-1919)
La Rêverie, ou Portrait de l’actrice Jeanne Samary (Daydreaming or Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary)
1877
Oil on canvas, 56 x 47 cm
Pushkin Museum, Moscow
Female images occupy a special place in Renoir‘s work, becoming for him the embodiment of spiritual clarity, purity and serenity of being. One of the artist’s favorite models in the 1870s was the young actress of the Comédie Française theater, Jeanne Samary. She made her debut in 1875 as Dorina in Molière‘s play Tartuffe. Before her marriage, Samari lived near Renoir‘s studio on rue Frocheau and often posed for the artist. In 1877, Renoir created one of her most beautiful portraits. At the same time, smiling and thoughtful, in an exquisite green and blue dress, the actress appears before the viewer against an airy pink background. In the appearance of his model, the artist emphasizes her best features: soft grace, lively mind, a slightly sly look of blue eyes and a radiant smile that “illuminates everything around”. (Pushkin Museum)
See also:
• Samary, Jeanne (1857-1890)