Alphonsine Fournaise — Girl with a Fan (1881) — Renoir Postcard

Alphonsine Fournaise, the boatman's daughter Renoir painted so often at Chatou, turns to look out at the viewer, a painted Japanese folding fan held loosely in one hand. Behind her, a wall of chrysanthemums — white, blush pink and deep crimson — fills most of the frame, their density almost rivaling the sitter herself for attention. The 1881 portrait hangs today at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown.

• Size: 10×15 cm
• Finish: matte

A fitting thank-you card after a long lunch by the water, or a pick for anyone assembling a set of Renoir's Chatou-period portraits specifically.