Bather Arranging her Hair

Renoir painted this nude at a pivotal moment in his career. In the 1870s, the artist experimented with Impressionist techniques, dissolving figures and forms in the atmospheric effects of light and shadow. By the 1880s, the figures in his paintings had become more solid and better defined. This shift in style is visible in the smooth texture of the woman’s pearly skin and the crisp outline of the curves of her body set against a sketchy, vibrant background.