View of the Coast near Dieppe
Painting on canvas • Auguste Renoir (Pierre-Auguste Renoir)
Style & Movement
Impressionism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas, employing Impressionist brushwork (taches), wet-on-wet technique, and layered color application to capture atmospheric effects.
Creation Period
1882
Dimensions & Format
26 x 32 1/4 in. (66 x 81.9 cm); Landscape format
Subject Description
A coastal landscape in Normandy, France. The composition features a foreground of rolling fields and dense shrubbery leading to small cottages nestled in a valley. A high horizon line shows the blue sea under a bright, cloud-streaked sky, reflecting the artist's interest in the play of light and wind across vegetation and water.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent/Very Good; the work appears stable with vibrant color retention and a well-preserved impasto surface.
Estimated Market Value
$10,000,000 - $15,000,000 (Based on historical significance and provenance)
Auction Estimate
$8,000,000 - $12,000,000
Provenance History
Formerly in the collection of Robert Lehman; gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1975. Historically passed through prominent 19th and 20th-century European and American art collections.
Art Historical Significance
A significant example of Renoir's landscape work during a transitional period in the early 1880s where he moved away from strict Impressionism toward a more structured composition while retaining luminous color. It represents the group's frequent travels to the Normandy coast to study natural light.
Notable Features
Signature and date 'Renoir 82' visible in the lower right corner. Housed in a lavishly carved Gilt-wood frame from the Robert Lehman Collection, featuring ornate scrolled acanthus motifs.
Condition Issues
Minor age-related craquelure is likely visible under magnification; no significant losses or previous heavy restorations are noted in the current display state.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strictly controlled humidity (45-55%) and temperature. Use UV-filtering glass and low-level LED lighting. Periodic inspection for varnish yellowing is recommended.
Collector Notes
The met