Introduction: The impressionists are famous for their landscapes. But they also made very beautiful portraits (or figure paintings). Characteristic was that the model dissolved with the background; that the artist used juxta-posed brushstrokes; that the hair was rendered with a kaleidoscope of colours; that black suits were rendered with bluish hues.
The model dissolves with the background: A characteristic for the impressionist way of figure painting is that the model dissolves with the background. Namely Renoir used this technique.
Auguste Renoir: 2IE-1876-212, Étude = CR201, 1876ca, Study, torso of a woman in the sunlight, 81×65, Orsay (iR52;R2,p184+184;R90II,p44+62;R108,no201;R30,no204;M1)
Auguste Renoir: 2IE-1876-213, Liseuse (app. à M. Choquet) = 1876, CR174, Madame Chocquet Reading, 66×55, private NY (iR2;iR22;iR52;R90II,p44+62;R2,p164;R108,no174;R30,no224)
Juxta-posed brushstrokes:
In impressionist portraits, the face isn’t rendered in a smooth way, but with lively brushstrokes, namely with juxta-posed brushstrokes. Namely Renoir used this technique.
Auguste Renoir: 2IE-1876-211, Portrait (app. à M. Choquet) =? CR176, 1875, Portrait of Victor Chocquet, 46×37, Harvard Cambridge (iRx;R30,no225;R90II,p44+63;R2,p164;R108,no176;M32). Compare: 2IE-1876-214, Tête d’Homme (app. à M. Choquet).
Auguste Renoir: 3IE-1877-192, Portrait de M. S… =1877ca, CR71, Jacques-Eugène Spuller, 46×39, A2011/06/22 (iR11;iR15;R90II,p82+101;R2,p206;R108,no71;R30,no201)
Colourful hairs:
In impressionist portraits, the hair of the model is rendered with a kaleidoscope of colours. Namely Renoir used this technique, but also Cassatt.
Auguste Renoir: 7IE-1882-141, Rêverie =? 1879, CR302, The Dreamer, 51×62, Saint-Louis AM (iR10;iR6;M157;R30,no372;R2,p394;R108,no302)
Auguste Renoir: 7IE-1882-141, Rêverie =? 1877, Reflection, 46×38, A2007/06/19 (iR2;iR11;R30,no298;R2,p394)
Auguste Renoir: 7IE-1882-160, Femme à l’éventail = 1880ca, CR332, Woman with a Fan, 65×50, Hermitage (iR2;iR59;R2,p395+376;R90II,p212+232;R108,no332;R15,p207;M95)
Auguste Renoir: 3IE-1877-193, Jeune fille =?? 1876, CR172, Young Woman Braiding Her Hair (portrait Mlle Muller), 55×46, NGA Washington (M21;R30,no222;R31,no42;R2,p206;R108,no172)
Auguste Renoir: 1892, Girls at the Piano, 116×90, Orsay (iR52;R30,no662;R31,no91;M1) Bought by the State for 4000fr.
Auguste Renoir: 1875-76ca, CR106, La liseuse, 47×35, Orsay (iR52;iR23;R30,no202;R193,no19;M1) =DR1883-23 =8XX-1891-62 =DR1892-53 =Caillebotte bequest
Mary Cassatt: 4IE-1879-49, Femme dans un loge =1879, CR64, Woman with a pearl necklace (in a loge) (detail), 81×59, Philadelphia MA (iR92;iR2;iR3;iR8;R2,p276;R90II,p127;R187,no64). Compare: 5IE-1880-25. Provenance: Alexis Rouart (1879ca – 1911). Info: the sitter is her sister Lydia.
Mary Cassatt: 5IE-1880-20, Sur le balcon =!? 1878-80, CR94, Woman reading in a garden (On a balcony; detail), 89×65, AI Chicago (iR30;iR10;iR92;iR6;iR59;aR1;R2,p310/1;R90II,p146+161;R187,no94;M20) Provenance: Durand-Ruel. Expos: NYDR1903-10; NYDR1920-8.
Bluish suits:
Men in the impressionist days in France mostly wore black suits. The Impressionists rendered these suits with many bluish hues adding purple and reddish hues. Namely Renoir and Caillebotte used this technique.
Auguste Renoir: 1875, CR132, Portrait of Claude Monet, 84×60, Orsay (iR152;R90II,p44+63;R2,p164+185;R108,no132;R30,no163;M1) One of 3 options for: 2IE-1876-220, Portrait de M. M., appartenant à M. Dollfus
Auguste Renoir: 3IE-1877-190, Portrait de M. Sisley =1876, CR117=1F138, Alfred Sisley, 66×55, AI Chicago (iR10;iR74;R90II,p82+101;R2,p206+237;R108,no117;R30=R193,no138;M20)
Gustave Caillebotte: 5IE-1880-6, Dans un café = 1880, SDbr, 1CR134=2CR142, In a Café, 155×115, MBA Rouen (iR2;iR3;R101,no134;R102,no142+p283;R2,p292;R90II,p145+159;R41,p50;M12) Location =? La Nouvelle Athène.
Sources:
Note: in the future I will add the most important sources I used.
Recommanded citation: “Impressionism, a painting style: Impressionist portraits in bright vibrant colours. Last modified 2026/06/14. https://www.impressionism.nl/impressionist-portraits/”
Note: in the future I will render more info and pictures.
