Renoir, Pierre-Auguste (1841-1919)
Ambroise Vollard
1908
Oil on canvas, 81.6 x 65.2 cm
Courtauld Institute of Art, London
One of the principal modern art dealers in the early twentieth century and a shrewd businessman, Ambroise Vollard sold much of Renoir’s work after 1900. Renoir depicts him here as a connoisseur, examining a statuette of a kneeling female nude. The theme echoes portraits of collectors from the Italian Renaissance. Vollard’s features are somewhat idealised: he was a big, heavy man often mocked for his bald head and bulbous nose. (Courtauld)
See also:
• Vollard, Ambroise (1866-1939)