When Pierre-Auguste Renoir exhibited La Fontaine or Jeune fille près d'une fontaine in 1885, it marked a turning point in his career, as he had just returned from a transformative trip to Italy. The painting reflects Renoir’s search for a new style, distancing himself from the loose brushwork of early Impressionism and embracing a more solid, classical approach inspired by the old masters he had studied abroad. This work is often cited as an example of Renoir’s so-called “Ingres period,” a phase that puzzled some of his contemporaries and even drew criticism from friends who missed his earlier, more spontaneous manner. A young woman, pausing by a stone fountain, becomes the subject of quiet drama.

Renoir captures her in a moment of gentle reflection, her hands delicately cupping the water as if savoring its coolness. The light plays softly across her simple dress and bare arms, emphasizing the tactile reality of flesh and fabric—an effect Renoir admired in works by Raphael and Ingres. The fountain, a classical motif, hints at purity and renewal, while the girl's downcast eyes suggest introspection.

Unlike Manet’s more provocative women at the water’s edge, Renoir’s figure is reserved, almost statuesque, inviting the viewer into a private world. The precise provenance of La Fontaine or Jeune fille près d'une fontaine remains somewhat unclear, as is common with several of Renoir’s works from the mid-1880s. It is believed to have passed through private collections before entering the public sphere, and today it is held in the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. This painting stands as a testament to Renoir’s restless experimentation during the 1880s, a period when he risked alienating admirers in pursuit of a new artistic language.

The work’s serene subject and careful modeling reveal an artist deeply engaged with tradition, yet still unmistakably modern in his sensitivity to light and the human form.