Madame Marie Octavie Bernier - Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Archival giclée
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Description
A refined 1871 portrait by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, capturing Madame Marie Octavie Bernier with soft brushwork and a warm, atmospheric palette.
Painted in 1871, this portrait of Madame Marie Octavie Bernier captures a moment of quiet composure during the early years of the Impressionist movement. Pierre-Auguste Renoir employs a soft, painterly approach, focusing on the textures of the sitter's attire and the gentle play of light across her features. The subject is depicted seated, wearing a dark, fur-trimmed garment that provides a stark contrast to the warmer, amber tones of the chair and the background.
Renoir was known for his interest in the human figure and the social atmosphere of late nineteenth-century France. In this work, the brushwork is fluid, particularly in the rendering of the fabric and the sitter's hands, which are positioned gracefully in her lap. The attention to detail in her jewellery and the subtle highlights on her face demonstrate the artist's ability to balance formal portraiture with the looser, more spontaneous techniques that would define his later career. The background remains somewhat indistinct, allowing the viewer to focus entirely on the presence of Madame Bernier.
This piece offers a glimpse into the domestic sphere of the period. The composition is traditional, yet the application of paint reveals the shift away from the rigid academic standards of the time. Renoir avoids harsh outlines, opting instead for a tonal transition that gives the figure a sense of volume and softness. The overall mood is one of stillness, reflecting the artist's capacity to observe his subjects with empathy and technical precision. As a fine art print, this work retains the warmth of the original palette, making it a suitable addition for those interested in the development of French portraiture.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Madame Marie Octavie Bernier - Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Artist Biography
Pierre Auguste Renoir
He met Monet, Sisley, and Bazille at Charles Gleyre's studio in the early 1860s. In 1869, he and Monet painted side by side at La Grenouillere, a bathing spot on the Seine, producing some of the earliest distinctly Impressionist work. They co-founded the first Impressionist exhibition in April 1874 with Pissarro and others. Of the group, Renoir was the one most drawn to people. His subjects are eating, dancing, talking, sitting in the sun, doing very little. The paint itself seems warm.
Luncheon of the Boating Party, painted in 1881, includes his future wife Aline Charigot as the woman on the left playing with a small dog. She was a dressmaker, twenty years his junior. They married in 1890. The model Suzanne Valadon, later a significant painter in her own right, posed for several of his works during this period.
Rheumatoid arthritis set in around 1892 and progressively crippled his hands. In 1907 he moved south to Cagnes-sur-Mer, near the Mediterranean, seeking warmer air. The commonly repeated story is that brushes were strapped to his paralysed fingers. The reality is more precise: he could still grip a brush, but an assistant had to place it in his permanently clenched hand. Bandages visible in late photographs prevented skin irritation rather than holding brushes in place. Film footage from 1915 shows the seventy-four-year-old painting at his easel while his fourteen-year-old son Claude arranged the palette and placed brushes in his hand.
He kept painting until the day he died, in December 1919, at seventy-eight.
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