Renoir painting that was hidden from public for 100 years fetches $1.68M at auction

A rarely seen painting by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, depicting his son and his nursemaid, was sold for 1.45 million euros ($1.68 million) at an auction held by Drouot on Tuesday in Paris.

Painted around 1895, the piece, titled "Child with Toys - Gabrielle and the Artist's Son, Jean" was given by the painter to Jeanne Baudot, his only student and close friend. It has remained in her family ever since.

Renoir was a leading figure of the impressionist movement that overhauled art in the late 19th century.

The sale price was modest compared to the record for impressionism set by one of Claude Monet's celebrated "Haystacks" series that fetched $110.7 million in 2023.

The work depicts the artist's son, Jean Renoir, and his nursemaid, Gabrielle Renard. She was one of the painter's favourite models, posing in nearly 200 paintings, said auctioneer Christophe Joron-Derem.

open image in gallery

"It is a masterpiece of intimacy. We see this very tender relationship between Jean Renoir and Gabrielle, who knows how to control the child so that Renoir can paint him," Joron-Derem said.

Born in 1894, Jean grew up to become an acclaimed film director. He died in 1979.

Pascal Perrin, an art consultant and Renoir specialist, described the artwork as being in "exceptional condition" and retaining all its colours "perfectly".