Young Girls at the Piano

The painting you're looking at is Renoir's Young Girls at the Piano.

Let's take a closer look.

The blonde girl is playing the piano while reading the sheet music, and beside her, a brown-haired girl leans toward the piano and follows along with the music.

With its soft colors and warm atmosphere, it's the kind of painting that makes you feel at ease just looking at it.

Renoir put a great deal of effort into this subject, Young Girls at the Piano.

At the time, the French government took note of the fact that, despite Renoir's reputation, the state had never purchased one of his works. So in 1892, the fine arts administration informally commissioned a painting from him.

This was a very important opportunity for Renoir.

So he painted the same composition several times, gradually refining it.

Several finished oil paintings with this composition survive today, along with an oil sketch and a pastel version.

The version eventually purchased by the French government is not here at the Musée de l'Orangerie, but at the nearby Musée d'Orsay.

So what exactly is the painting you're looking at now?

It's an oil sketch of the same composition.

Compared with the finished version, the brushwork here feels freer and more spontaneous.

This painting later became part of art dealer Paul Guillaume's collection and can now be seen here at the Musée de l'Orangerie.

It's also interesting to compare it with the finished version at the Musée d'Orsay.

The figures in the Orsay version feel more clearly defined and polished, while here at the Orangerie, you can get a more direct sense of Renoir's brushwork.

Take your time and enjoy the two girls as they look at the sheet music together.

When you're ready, let's move on to the next work.