Femme à la rose

Renoir's prevailing theme throughout his career was the physical beauty of women, which he frequently equated with the luxuriant forms of flowers. Around 1900, the artist began to paint models with a rose tucked behind one ear, the fullness of the flower's form echoing the plumper and more mature vision of female beauty that he adopted in his late years. Renoir's portraits were more than just a reproduction of his sitter's aesthetic appearance—they were a reflection of the subject's inner personality and beauty. His portraits of young women were especially captivating, as he so perfectly captured the delicate nature of the female form. He loved and adored the women he painted, and this adoration translated effortlessly into his pictures. "Renoir was permanently in love with women and transferred their luminous radiance he found in them onto the canvas" (G. Néret, Renoir: Painter of Happiness, 1841-1918, Los Angeles, 2009, p. 188).
The young woman in this portrait offers a superb example of how Renoir could bring to life the beauty and grace of his female sitter. Her hair is pulled back into a low bun as she gazes at a yellow rose, her cheeks flush in shyness, and her ruby red lips reflecting a subtle, feminine touch. She is alluring yet delicate and graceful. We are mere onlookers able to partake in his adoration.