Young Girl with Long Hair in Profile 1890

Pierre-Auguste Renoir captured this young girl with long hair in profile using oil paint. The profile view presents her as an emblem of youthful beauty and innocence, a motif stretching back to classical antiquity. Consider the ‘profile’ portrait, a convention found in ancient Roman coins and Renaissance medals, designed to immortalize the sitter. Here, Renoir adopts this timeless pose, but softens it with Impressionistic brushwork. The flowing hair, loosely tied with a ribbon, evokes Botticelli’s Venus. The presence of the ‘young girl’ is a recurring motif in art history, embodying themes of purity and potential. Think of the emotional resonance of youthful figures across time and cultures—from religious icons to secular portraits. This image serves as a potent reminder of the cyclical nature of artistic inspiration. Symbols and gestures continually resurface, evolving and taking on new meanings across different epochs.