Woman by the Grapevine, Fourth Variant (Femme au cep de vigne, 4e variante) from Twelve Original Lithographs by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Douze lithographies originales de Pierre-Auguste Renoir)

Woman by the Grapevine, Fourth Variant (Femme au cep de vigne, 4e variante) from Twelve Original Lithographs by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Douze lithographies originales de Pierre-Auguste Renoir) is a key example of the French master’s late graphic output. Created around c. 1904, this work is one from a significant portfolio of twelve original lithographs intended for a prestigious, limited-edition publication. Renoir began focusing heavily on printmaking techniques in the 1890s, translating his celebrated Impressionist approach to the black and white and tonal possibilities of the lithographic stone.

This piece exemplifies Renoir’s enduring preoccupation with the idealized female form, often situated intimately within natural, Arcadian settings. The designation of this work as the Fourth Variant indicates the artist's meticulous and iterative process in developing the composition, utilizing the lithographic stone to refine line quality and tonal depth across multiple states before achieving the desired final image. As a printmaker, Renoir sought to translate the soft, shimmering effects typical of his oil paintings through nuanced shading and the delicate application of crayon on the stone, preserving the immediacy and spontaneity of his drawing style.

Though the image was executed around c. 1904, the full portfolio, Douze lithographies originales de Pierre-Auguste Renoir, was formally published in 1919. This time delay demonstrates the continued high demand for works by this foundational French artist well into the early twentieth century. The resulting prints provide crucial insights into Renoir’s late career, when he consistently returned to classical themes infused with a distinctly modern warmth and sensuality. This important print, classified simply as a print, remains an integral component of the graphic arts collection held by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ensuring its scholarly significance and public accessibility.