Misia l’inspiratrice

The daughter of a Polish sculptor, Misia Sert (1872-1950) was a well-known figure in Parisian artistic and intellectual circles. Renoir”s portrait shows her as an accomplished society hostess, at ease in a chaise longue. Her soft, low-cut chiffon blouse and bold-patterned skirt provide an interesting contrast with the contemporary dress in Klimt”s portrait of the same year (also in this display). A number of artists painted Sert; she was a confidante of Picasso and Jean Cocteau, an early patron of Sergei Diaghilev”s Ballets Russes and a close friend of the designer Coco Chanel.