Young Girl in a Straw Hat Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Description of the painting "Girl in a Straw Hat" by Pierre Auguste Renoir

In the center of the painting is a beautiful young girl who draws all the attention to herself. The background of the work consists of expressive blue strokes with red flecks, but the blue palette changes its color toward green in a downward direction. This suggests that the protagonist is outdoors rather than in a building. The blurred background allows us to accentuate the beautiful young person staring ahead.

The heroine’s eye-catching red, almost red hair, which descends downwards, is a special feature. The upper part of the face is framed by red curls, and a straw hat is placed on her head. Thus, the hair and hat take most of the attention. The texture of the headdress is perfectly rendered, the volume of the subject being given by the dark strokes present in the hat’s fold line. The white edges of the hat give it a great deal of elegance and extravagance.

The heroine’s neat right hand touches her hair while a small ring with a blue stone adorns her ring finger. A member of the upper class would probably have more jewelry, which makes you think that the girl belongs to the middle class.

The chic red hair, catching the eye of the person looking at the picture, further emphasizes the fantastic whiteness of her skin. At the same time, the face is not too pale, as a slight blush is traced on the cheeks, emphasizing the youth of the beautiful girl. The main character’s eyes express complete equanimity, the girl’s right eyebrow is playfully raised, and the soft pink lips curve smoothly in a slight smile. It thrills and delights, it makes the viewer try to feel what the girl is thinking and feeling.