Focus on this artwork and explain the Critical response.
When first exhibited in 1874, under the title La Parisienne, the painting, like most of the other works on display that day, received mixed reviews; though most critics mentioned it in passing. French critic Ernest Chesneau described it as a 'failure'. Jean Prouvaire of Le Rappel expressed mixed sentiments about the painting:"The toe of her ankle boot is almost invisible, and peeps out like a little black mouse. Her hat is tilted over one ear and is daringly coquettish. Her dress does not reveal enough of her body. There is nothing more annoying than locked doors. Is the painting a portrait? It is to be feared so. The smile is false, and the face is a strong mixture of the old and the childish. But there is still something naïve about her. One gets the impression that this little lady is trying hard to look chaste. The dress which is extremely well painted, is a heavenly blue."
In 1898, while the painting was in the collection of Henri Rouart, artist Paul Signac described the La Parisienne as: "a large painting of a woman in blue painted by Renoir in 1874. The dress is blue, a pure intense blue. The contrast makes the woman's skin look yellowish and reflection makes it look green. The interaction between the colours is captured admirably. It is simple, fresh and beautiful. It was painted twenty years ago, but you would think it had come straight from the studio."  
Since becoming part of the collection of the National Museum of Wales in 1952, La Parisienne has become an important part of the museum's collection. Ann Sumner in her 2005 publication, Colour and Light describes it as "the most famous painting in the National Museum", while the Cardiff museum states that, "the painting is regarded as one of their most popular exhibits".
Ernest Chesneau Jean Prouvaire Paul Signac Henri Rouart Le Rappel