Seated Nude Woman

Seated Nude Woman is a delicate soft ground etching created by Pierre Auguste Renoir French, 1841-1919, likely between 1901 and 1911. This print, executed on bright cream laid paper, exemplifies the artist's enduring commitment to the female form, a central subject throughout his career, extending from his Impressionist beginnings into his final, more classical phase. During this period, the aging Renoir suffered from severe arthritis, which ironically led him to focus intensely on printmaking and and small-scale works, seeking methods less physically demanding than large oil canvases.

The soft ground etching technique employed here was favored for its ability to mimic the loose, granular quality of crayon or chalk drawings, offering a painterly effect often absent in sharper etched lines. In this piece, the subject is rendered with voluminous contours and broad, expressive lines, typical of Renoir’s late style that emphasized classical structure and form over pure Impressionist observation. The figure sits naturally and embodies the relaxed, intimate sensuality common in the mature compositions created by the artist in France.

The existence of multiple prints of this composition underscores its significance within Renoir’s graphic output during the last decades of his life. Though produced late in his career, the work retains the characteristic warmth and naturalistic approach that defined his handling of the nude subject. As an important piece now transitioning into the public domain, high-quality images of this French modernist work contribute significantly to the study of early 20th-century figurative art. The original object is classified as a print and remains a valued holding within the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.