Description:
Paul Renaudot (1871-1920) was a French painter born in Rome. From 1907 to 1914 he exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He was involved in genre painting, portraiture, and landscape painting. A popular theme in his work was depictions of women at their dressing tables and in front of mirrors.

Description of the painting:
The subject of the painting is a straw hat which has captured the moment depicted on the canvas. It shows a young woman looking in the mirror. The figure sitting in the chair is shown in profile. She is gazing at the mirror standing on the table disappearing behind the left edge of the painting. The artist has captured the moment when the woman is adjusting the hat on her head. She is wearing a long dress in shades of amaranth and violet. Her short sleeves have revealed her pale arms raised up. Her face, also pale, is surrounded by short, curly hair. The model’s gaze is focused on the mirror’s surface. The background for the woman is a patterned wallpaper corresponding with her outfit and the golden upholstery of the chair. The smoothly painted, porcelain complexion of the model is juxtaposed to her clothing and the environment, built up with small, colorful brushstrokes.

This painting belongs to a group of works by an artist from the early 20th century that resemble late works by the Nabis, a group active in France between 1888 and 1899. This is evidenced by the striking contours, two-dimensional color patches and muted colors. On the other hand, the representation of fabrics reveals the influence of Pointillist technique. Although the palette of colors used in the work is limited, it is these colors that seem to be the essence of the artist’s coloristic search. The three distinct color ranges complement each other, creating a sense of harmony in the work. The artist paid particular attention to the details of both the fabric of the dress and the pattern of the wallpaper. By sculpting the roundness of Renaudot’s hat, the viewer’s attention is drawn to the illuminated face of the woman.