French School, 20th century, Three Brothers

French School, 20th century

Three brothers

Pastel on paper, 77 x 108 cm

With frame, 101 x 134 cm

Signed and dated lower right “Ducreux 1903”

The pastel in question depicts three children around a table, intent on playing cards. In the center, a little girl with long red hair and a white bow, wears a light dress with an elegant floral decoration at chest height. To her left, a red-haired boy, dressed in a dark suit and an elaborate lace collar, looks at her in profile. To her right, another boy with tawny hair, wearing a dark suit and a light collar, looks toward the observer with a light and tender smile.

The pastel, made in France in 1903 by the painter Ducreux, of whom we have no biographical information, shows several similarities with the late production of various members of the Impressionist circle, recalling, in particular, the mature activity of Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Renoir, an emblematic figure of Impressionism, is universally recognized for his works in oil, in particular his vibrant portraits and scenes of Parisian life. However, the painter, especially as regards the second segment of his career, also explored with remarkable mastery the technique of pastel, a medium that offered him unique and complementary expressive possibilities to his oil painting. Renoir's interest in pastel developed from the mid-80s, a period in which other Impressionist artists such as Manet and Degas were already experimenting with this technique. Unlike his drawings, which he rarely exhibited, Renoir considered his pastels an essential part of his artistic production and frequently showed them to the public. Pastel, by its very nature, allows for great speed of execution. Renoir exploited this quality to capture the vividness of expression, the “quick flash of intelligence” and the “fleeting displays of emotion” of his subjects, often friends, family members and especially young women and children. This immediacy aligned perfectly with the Impressionist aesthetic, which aimed to capture the fleeting moment. Pastels, with their powdery nature and pure colors, also allowed for effects of light and delicacy that were difficult to replicate with oil. He was particularly adept at capturing the transparency of youthful flesh tones and the softness of textures. Pastel offers a bridge between drawing and painting. Renoir used this characteristic to unite the strength of line with the richness of color, creating works that combined precision of contour with evocative chromatic nuances.

Many of the characteristics of Renoir's pastel works are found in this paper: the colored pencils allow the painter to better render the details of the faces of the subjects portrayed, the brightness of their complexions