Seated Woman 1895

Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted this oil on canvas portrait of a seated woman at an unknown date. Here we see a woman in a large hat, adorned with pink ribbons, seated formally in a chair. In nineteenth-century France, the institutions of art reinforced conservative ideas about gender and social class. Consider the Paris Salon, which promoted traditional artistic styles and subject matter that upheld bourgeois values. It is telling that Renoir was among the impressionists who challenged the Salon system. Looking at this painting, we might ask, is Renoir reinforcing or challenging prevailing social norms? What does the sitter’s stylish dress and reserved posture tell us about her social standing? Could it be a commentary on the constraints placed on women of the time? To better understand Renoir’s intentions, scholars delve into the social and institutional context of his art through letters, reviews, and exhibition records. Art becomes richer when viewed as part of a conversation on cultural values.