Head of a Young Woman 1880

Pierre-Auguste Renoir rendered this study of a woman with pastel on paper. Pastels are interesting, since they sit halfway between drawing and painting. The dry sticks of pigment allow for a direct application of color, and the marks are soft, lending themselves to the hazy effect of Impressionism. Note the visible texture of the strokes, catching the light. It’s as if the image were assembled from countless tiny, almost weightless particles. Renoir favored scenes of modern life. The clothing and the subject's assured gaze, suggest she is a working woman. Yet her beauty is also emphasized. Renoir uses the pastel to focus on the transient effects of light and the sensuous qualities of color and surface. So, while Renoir was evidently attentive to social context, he also wanted to capture something fleeting, and perhaps even timeless, about human beauty. He elevates the material of pastel, which had often been used for quick sketches, to the status of high art.