Artwork
The Hat Pin (Le chapeau epingle)
The Hat Pin (Le chapeau epingle) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Auguste Renoir. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Hat Pin (Le chapeau épingle) is a print executed by the French painter Auguste Renoir in 1894. Rendered as a drypoint on wove paper, the work exemplifies the artist’s late‑period interest in graphic media, translating his painterly concerns into the linear language of etching.
Technique & Style
Created with a drypoint needle, the image bears the characteristic burr‑rich lines that give the print its soft, velvety texture. The choice of wove paper provides a smooth surface that captures subtle tonal variations, allowing Renoir to suggest form and atmosphere without the use of color.
History & Provenance
The work originates from Renoir’s productive years in the 1890s, a period when he explored printmaking alongside his canvases. While specific ownership details are scarce, the piece is catalogued among his printed oeuvre and has been referenced in scholarly listings of his graphic output.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born on 25 February 1841 in Limoges, the son of a tailor and a seamstress.
