By Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph after Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), titled Maternite (Maternity), from the album Les Lithographies de Renoir (The Lithographs of Renoir), originates from the 1951 edition published by Editions du livre, Monte-Carlo, under the direction of Andre Sauret, Monte-Carlo, in collaboration with Fernand Mourlot, Paris; rendered by Georges Duval, maître imprimeur, Paris; and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, March 25, 1951. Maternite expresses Renoir’s profound tenderness and humanism, portraying the intimate bond between mother and child with radiant color, warmth, and a timeless grace that epitomizes his vision of beauty and affection.
Executed as a lithograph on grand velin Renage filigrane a la marque de l'editeur paper, this work measures 12.5 x 9.5 inches overall; 11.42 x 9.05 inches image. Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres and Georges Duval, and the exceptional production standards of Editions du livre, Monte-Carlo.
Artwork Details:
Artist: After Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919)
Title: Maternite (Maternity), from the album Les Lithographies de Renoir (The Lithographs of Renoir)
Medium: Lithograph on grand velin Renage filigrane a la marque de l'editeur paper
Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.5 inches overall; 11.42 x 9.05 inches image (31.75 x 24.1 cm overall; 29 x 23 cm image)
Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1951
Publisher: Editions du livre, Monte-Carlo, under the direction of Andre Sauret, Monte-Carlo, in collaboration with Fernand Mourlot, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris; rendered by Georges Duval, maitre imprimeur, Paris
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album Les Lithographies de Renoir (The Lithographs of Renoir), published by Editions du livre, Monte-Carlo, 1951
Notes:
Excerpted from the album, This album, produced by Andre Sauret and Fernand Mourlot, has been printed in MMM examples on grand velin Renage filigrane with the publisher's brand. It has been completed to print, March 25, 1951 on the presses of Mourlot Freres and Georges Duval, maitre imprimeur, in Paris. The typography is from L'Imprimerie Union.
About the Publication:
Les Lithographies de Renoir (The Lithographs of Renoir), published in Monte-Carlo in 1951 under the direction of Andre Sauret in collaboration with Fernand Mourlot, stands among the most elegant postwar tributes to Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s artistic legacy. Conceived as part of the distinguished series of fine art albums issued by Editions du livre, the publication united leading masters of lithography to honor Renoir’s enduring influence on modern art. Printed on grand velin Renage filigrane a la marque de l'editeur by the ateliers of Mourlot Freres and Georges Duval, the album combined technical precision with scholarly presentation, showcasing interpretive plates rendered with exceptional fidelity and tonal refinement. It embodies the collaborative spirit between printer, publisher, and artist that characterized the golden age of French art editions, joining other monumental projects such as those devoted to Matisse, Chagall, Braque, and Picasso. A hallmark of twentieth-century art publishing, Les Lithographies de Renoir preserves the warmth and radiance of Renoir’s aesthetic through the masterful lithographic techniques that made Mourlot Freres synonymous with excellence in fine art printing.
About the Artist:
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) was one of the most influential and beloved artists in the history of modern art, a French Impressionist master whose radiant color harmonies, sensual brushwork, and joyful depictions of life helped transform the course of painting. Born in Limoges, France, into a modest family, Renoir began his career as a porcelain painter before studying at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and joining the avant-garde circle of Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, and Frederic Bazille. Together they pioneered plein-air painting, capturing fleeting light and atmosphere with revolutionary immediacy. Renoir’s early works, such as La Loge (1874) and Bal du moulin de la Galette (1876), embody the luminous vitality of Impressionism, while his later period, influenced by the classical mastery of Raphael, Ingres, and Rubens, brought greater structure and sensuality to his figures. His art evolved into a vision of timeless beauty expressed through color, form, and emotion, celebrating humanity and intimacy with unmatched tenderness. Even when afflicted by severe rheumatoid arthritis, Renoir continued to paint daily, his hands bound with cloth, and collaborated with sculptor Richard Guino to translate his soft, fluid touch into bronze. His influence radiated across generations—Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray all drew inspiration from his dedication to expressive color and emotional depth. His sensual palette profoundly impacted Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, Raoul Dufy, and Andre Derain, while later artists such as Marc Chagall and Balthus inherited his lyrical humanism and poetic approach to beauty. Renoir’s art, often described as a hymn to joy, found universality in its warmth, intimacy, and reverence for life’s everyday grace. Today, his works hang in major museums worldwide, including the Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre, the National Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago, continuing to inspire collectors and artists alike. The highest auction record for Pierre-Auguste Renoir was achieved with Bal du moulin de la Galette (1876), which sold for $78.1 million USD at Sotheby’s, New York, on May 17, 1990, securing his enduring legacy as one of the greatest masters of Impressionism and one of the most cherished figures in art history.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir Maternite...
Category
1950s Impressionist Prints and Multiples
