Romaine Lacaux1864 · Study 1942.1065

Context from the museum

This painting may be Renoir's earliest signed canvas. Its sensitive display of color and light communicates an ideal of delicate, youthful beauty. The luminous tones of the background drapery and of the child's white blouse result from the artist's careful observation of reflected light and color on translucent materials. The delicate nuances of color, particularly in the young girl's face, reveal Renoir's previous training as a decorator of porcelain. He painted this portrait, commissioned by the vacationing Lacaux family, during his stay at an artist's colony in the village of Barbizon, near Paris.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The son of a poor tailor from Limoges, Renoir began his artistic career at age 13 as an apprentice to a porcelain painter.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Romaine Lacaux is 65 cm wide and 81.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 25.6 × 32.0 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.80:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.53 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 21.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 117.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Romaine Lacaux in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on fabric, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 65 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?