Young girl reading by Auguste Renoir

Anchored in the theme of children’s reading so dear to Impressionist painters, this sparkling portrait captures a little girl’s fascination with book illustrations. The artist favors bright light and dazzling floral contrasts to accompany the scene. The painting designated under the name “Young girl reading” bears witness to Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s affection for the magical world of childhood. The atmosphere radiates freshness and contained joy.

The little girl is painted in close profile, holding in her hands an open book with pages illustrated with colorful prints. She wears a spectacular golden straw bonnet, edged with a blue ribbon and trimmed with red poppies and white daisies. Her reddish-brown hair escapes beneath the headwear and falls over a blue and white striped blouse with a delicate collar. Her candid face, illuminated by the paper’s clarity, expresses complete absorption in her reading. On the left, a vase of pink and mauve azaleas brings botanical profusion to the scene.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir deploys breathtaking virtuosity in executing the flower bouquet and hat ornaments. His technique of stippling colorful strokes bestows extraordinary life upon the poppy petals. The delicacy with which he paints the child’s profile establishes his painting mastery.