Pierre-Auguste Renoir - A Nymph by a Stream [c.1869-70]

Pierre-Auguste Renoir - A Nymph by a Stream [c.1869-70], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

The model for this painting was Lise Tréhot, who was Renoir's frequent model and companion during these years. She also posed for the presumed companion to this painting, 'Woman of Algiers' (Washington, DC, National Gallery of Art), in which she is depicted reclining on her back and clothed in a rich oriental costume. Here, Renoir associates the female nude seen in nature with the forces of nature itself, represented by the stream near which she lies. This was a traditional theme in French art, and in the mid-19th century it was also explored by such artists as Ingres and Courbet.

[Oil on canvas, 66.7 x 122.9 cm]