A rare painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir dedicated to his son Jean and his nanny emerges after a century in a Paris auction for 2 million dollars.
How Renoir’s painting was found after a century
A discovered painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir reached the equivalent of 2 million dollars at an auction in Paris. The work, an intimate portrait of the young Jean Renoir playing with the nanny Gabrielle Renard, had remained for over 100 years in the same private collection.
According to auctioneer Christophe Joron-Derem, it is “a fantastic discovery,” as the painting had never been published or exhibited before. Its total absence from catalogs and exhibitions increases its historical and market relevance.
What are the characteristics and provenance of the painting?
The work, with the full title L’enfant et ses jouets – Gabrielle et le fils de l’artiste, Jean, was created before 1910 and is preserved in remarkably good condition. It has never required restoration, an element not to be taken for granted for a painting over a century old.
The work was offered by Joron-Derem in the “Tableaux Modernes” sale at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris on November 25. It was quickly awarded to an international buyer, a sign of global interest in impressionist masterpieces reemerging from the private market.
The economic basis of the operation confirms the solidity of the Renoir name. The hammer price was 1.45 million euros (1.68 million dollars), in line with the pre-auction estimate of 1–1.5 million euros (1.15–1.73 million dollars). With auction fees, the total exceeded 1.8 million euros, equivalent to the mentioned 2 million dollars.
Why had the painting remained invisible to the public?
Until today, the work had remained out of the public eye. Renoir had given it to the painter Jeanne Baudot, his only student and great friend. In 1895, Baudot became Jean’s godmother, further consolidating the bond between the two families.
Baudot kept the painting throughout her life, then left it to her adopted son and heir Jean Griot, who passed away in 2011. The latter kept L’enfant et ses jouets hanging in his bedroom, a detail that confirms the emotional value of the work well beyond the economic aspect.
How does the painting fit into Renoir’s body of work?
A significant comparison can be made with a very similar study of Gabrielle and Jean, dated around 1894–95, housed at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris. Another version, once owned by Jean Griot, has been at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., since 1985.
Compared to these museum examples, the version auctioned at the Hôtel Drouot features more vivid and defined details. According to the catalog, the color rendering is particularly intense, with a clearer depiction of the toys and the interaction between child and nanny.
A period photograph depicts the French impressionist painter in the garden of Les Collettes, surrounded by family members and Gabrielle. This image helps contextualize the domestic atmosphere from which paintings like the one just sold originate.
How is the depicted scene interpreted today?
For art historian Pascal Perrin, a consultant for Drouot, the painting captures a suspended moment: “Time really seems to stop: you can see that Jean is having fun and that the painter takes pleasure in portraying him,” he commented.
Perrin also highlights the use of light, considered “very particular” in this composition. Furthermore, he relates the work to the tradition of Velázquez, Rubens, and the Italian Renaissance painters, emphasizing how Renoir dialogues with great masters of the past while remaining fully impressionist.
What role did Jean Renoir and Gabrielle Renard play in the artist’s life?
The young Jean, the protagonist of the scene, would later become an Oscar-winning director and a central figure in the history of cinema. He would fondly recall the posing sessions with his father, explaining that as a child, between the ages of three and five, Renoir did not impose rigid positions on him but used activities that kept him calm.
Jean died in 1979, leaving numerous testimonies about his relationship with his father, which are now valuable for art historical studies. These memories contribute to imbuing the portrait with an autobiographical dimension that goes beyond the simple family scene.
In parallel, Gabrielle Renard had a lasting role in the Renoir household. She worked for a long time as the artist’s favorite model, posing for him about 200 times. She was also hired by Renoir’s wife as the nanny for their three children, a role she fulfilled for over twenty years.
What is Renoir’s place in the international market?
Renoir’s status in the market is also confirmed through auction records. His personal record is set at 78.1 million dollars for Au Moulin de la Galette (1876), sold by Sotheby’s New York in 1990, according to the Artnet Price Database.
Another version of this famous outdoor party scene is housed at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, consolidating the artist’s presence in major public collections. Compared to these large-format masterpieces, the recent discovery offers a domestic and intimate dimension, equally sought after by collectors.
More recently, in 2022, the painting Berthe Morisot et sa fille, Julie Manet (1894) reached 24.5 million dollars at Christie’s New York, exceeding a maximum estimate of 15 million dollars. This result confirms the strong demand for the artist’s female and family portraits.
What does this sale reveal about Renoir’s enduring appeal?
Overall, the sale of the rediscovered painting demonstrates how Renoir’s work maintains a stable appeal, both in the market and in historiography. The reemergence of an unpublished subject related to the artist’s private sphere offers new critical perspectives, while the achieved price confirms the competitiveness of these works in the international landscape.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
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