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Thursday, September 20, 2007

Irene is my mom's name

And it's also the name of the girl in this painting by Renoir. Does the girl need a few inches taken off the hair? Sure, but it's 1879, so we cut her some slack. There are a handful of Impressionist paintings that I truly love. This is one of them. The softness of the style meshes so well with the innocence of young women and girls. There will be other paintings by other artists showing up here for much the same reasons.

The red hair sets this apart for me. Physically, Irene Cahen d'Anvers is almost too petite and pale. Yet the mane like hair, pulled back and subdued by a barrette hints that she only appears quiet and timid to pose for the master painter.

Bottom line: when I see this painting, I feel calm. A breeze rustling those leaves or her hair would spoil the tranquil feelings.

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