Splashing Figure (Study for "The Large Bathers")

Splashing Figure (Study for "The Large Bathers") by Pierre Auguste Renoir French, 1841-1919, is a significant preparatory work executed between 1884 and 1885. Classified as a drawing, this piece demonstrates the Impressionist master’s shift toward a more classical, rigorously defined compositional style following his travels to Italy. Renoir employed a complex mixed-media technique, utilizing red, white, and black chalk, with stumping used to blend and soften transitions. Black Conté crayon provides the necessary sharp outlines and definition, all applied to tan wove tracing paper, which was subsequently laid down on canvas for stability and presentation.

This drawing is a crucial study for Renoir’s monumental painting, The Large Bathers (1884-1887), a pivotal work that marked his divergence from the spontaneous brushwork of early Impressionism. The drawing meticulously explores the posture and dynamic movement of one of the nude female figures splashing water, capturing vitality and classical grace simultaneously. Renoir, a central figure in modern French art, often used chalk and crayon studies to refine anatomical accuracy and compositional structure before applying oil to canvas.

The combination of media allows Renoir to achieve a remarkable range of textures and tonal variations, from the deep shadows established by the black chalk to the luminous highlights created by the white chalk. This particular study offers profound insight into the artist’s deliberate working methods during a time of stylistic transition. The work is held in the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, and as one of the definitive studies relating to Renoir’s late career, high-quality prints of this drawing are often made available through museum and public domain archives for study and appreciation.