Ambroise Vollard: Sitting for Renoir

"Ambroise Vollard" by Renoir

"I have sat for my portrait a number of times. Renoir, in particular, did several portraits of me, one of them as a toreador. I had told him I was going to Spain. 'I have always wanted to paint a torero,' he said. 'One of my models is about your size, so do try and bring me back a torero's costume that fits you.'

But nowhere, either in Seville, Madrid or Toldeo, could I find a costume that fitted me. So I was obliged to have one made to measure. On my return to Paris, the Customs officer who was examining my luggage pounced at once on the swagger costume. 'Those are my working clothes,' I said. 'Ah! You are a toreador? All right! Put them on. We shall soon see!' I did as I was told. I felt magnificent in the gold-embroidered jacket and equally gorgeous breeches. But a crowd was collecting, and I escaped from their curiosity by jumping into a taxi and driving to Renoir's.

'Bravo!' cried the painter as soon as he set eyes on me. 'I shall make you sit for my picture!' I picked up a rose that was lying on the table. 'You shall be the toréro à la rose... No, the rose would get in the way of your hands. Throw it down. It will make a jolly note of colour on the carpet. I asked Renoir If I ought not to get shaved for the sake of local colour. 'You don't suppose you would be taken for a real torero, if you did?' he cried. 'All I ask of you is not to go to sleep while you are sitting.'"

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Recollections of a Picture Dealer" by Ambroise Vollard.)