Woman Arranging her Hair
Renoir, Pierre-Auguste.
Oil on canvas. 65.3x54 cm
France. 1887
Source of Entry: formerly in the collection of Bernhard Koehler, Berlin.
Transferred from Germany after World War II

A woman brushing, straightening, or setting her hair is one of the themes running through all of Renoir's work, and usually the figure is shown seminude. But in the earlier canvases, subject to the rules of realism, each detail is motivated by the overall situation: a woman set against an unmade bed is undressing, perhaps preparing to take a bath. Her nightdress is lowered, entirely revealing the upper part of her body.

The present painting which was executed in the later period, reveals the "museum" interests of the artist. The way in which the nightdress is painted here, leaving only one breast naked, is an allusion to the Amazons. The background is abstract, unburdened by any elaborative details. More attention is paid to the drawing, which is quite classic.