Marguerite-Thérèse 1879

Curator: Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s "Marguerite-Thérèse," painted in 1879, greets us today. What’s your immediate reaction? Editor: It's charming. I am struck by the hazy edges and the rather serious gaze of the child, a compelling mix of innocence and gravity. Curator: The context is important here. Renoir was deeply engaged with the question of portraiture and how best to depict modern life. The materials, of course, are oil on canvas, but consider how he’s using them. There’s a certain sketchiness to the handling, almost like an unfinished study. Editor: Indeed. Beyond the impressionistic style and wispy brushstrokes, the very particular style of dress and coiffure feel deeply symbolic, indicating belonging, social position. The dark dress is very interesting in light of the lighter complexion, emphasizing specific traits. Curator: You see the dark dress and neat coiffure in terms of societal position. It seems more immediate than that to me. I see Renoir capturing a moment in time. A study in capturing the play of light and capturing something about childhood, laboring to achieve the appearance of effortlessness. Editor: I agree in that Renoir captures that lightness, a fleeting sense of a very specific moment. But also that feeling carries weight of the family lineage and perhaps aspirations—I cannot help but perceive in the artwork how beauty functions as symbol for larger ideals and anxieties. Curator: Perhaps that reading projects modern concerns onto it? What Renoir accomplished was showing that industrial materials and repetitive modes of making could in their way still carry a certain hand-crafted aura. In effect elevating the social status of painting materials. Editor: The debate over what and how it means continues... Ultimately, this glimpse into childhood holds different meanings that are projected onto the portrait. Curator: A potent and provocative little portrait from a complicated and ambitious moment in art history! Editor: Indeed, a little treasure, offering complex visual narratives with symbolic, personal weight.