Pierre-Auguste Renoir, At the Theatre

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Theatre Box, 1874
Courtauld Institute of Art, London

The following pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists in the National Gallery in London (1).

1 Yellow-green partition: lemon yellow (barium chromate) with small amounts of cobalt blue.
2 The red outline of the partition: red lake.

3 Mauve streaks in the companion’s hair: red lake mixed with cobalt blue.

4 Red plush at the front of the theatre box: pure red lake glazed over a layer of cobalt blue, red lake, and lead white. The brighter strokes consist of vermilion.

5 Dark purplish-blue dress: lower layer composed of lead white, cobalt blue, and red lake. The upper layer consists of cobalt blue, ivory black, and red lake.

6 Faces of the girl and her companion: lead white tinted with vermilion.
7 The white, blue, and green hatband and collar: rich impasto of interlocking strokes of pure lead white, cobalt blue, and emerald green.

8 Red streak in the dress of the girl’s companion: pure vermilion.

9 Girl’s bouquet: thick blobs of paint applied directly from the tube containing emerald green, cobalt blue, red lake, and chrome yellow.

References

(1) David Bomford, John Leighton, Jo Kirby, Ashok Roy, Impressionism: Art in the Making, National Gallery London Publications), 1991, pp. 152-157.

(1) David Bomford, John Leighton, Jo Kirby, Ashok Roy, Impressionism: Art in the Making, National Gallery London Publications), 1991, pp. 152-157.