Pinning the Hat

Pinning the Hat is a significant color lithograph created by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, dated between 1893 and 1903. This striking print exemplifies the artist’s dedicated engagement with graphic arts late in his career, translating his signature Impressionist style into the precise language of stone printing. The work is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Produced in France, this piece belongs to a series of prints Renoir executed following his commercial success as a painter. The extended decade-long production period suggests careful experimentation or the creation of multiple states, reflecting Renoir's commitment to mastering the challenging process of color lithography. This medium required the use of multiple stones, or runs, to achieve the delicate color harmonies and soft modeling typical of Renoir’s figural studies.

The composition focuses on an intimate, domestic subject. Renoir, known for his depictions of contemporary life and feminine elegance, illustrates the act implied by the title, capturing a moment of quiet concentration involved in adjusting a hat, a crucial element of fashion during the fin de siècle. The successful transposition of his oil painting aesthetic into graphic prints demonstrates Renoir’s versatility as a modern master. Today, because of the age of the artist and the date of creation, these original prints are often referenced in discussions regarding works entering the public domain, ensuring widespread access to high-quality reproductions and scholarship.