Description
Renoir paints this reclining nude within a painted stone-grey border, as if the figure lies inside a framed niche. A young woman with short, tousled dark hair reclines on white drapery, eyes closed, one arm bent behind her head; a spray of green reeds rests against her hip, hinting at the water nymph theme suggested by the work’s subtitle.
Behind her, a dense screen of trees and white blossoms fills most of the background, opening at the right onto a glimpse of blue water and sky. The paint is applied in soft, blended layers, her pale skin glowing warmly against the surrounding greens, with touches of white flowers and the sparkle of distant water adding light to the composition.
This piece is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction on canvas or as an archival giclée canvas print. Both are reproductions of the original painting held at the Barnes Foundation, not the original artwork.



