Renoir - Girl with a Watering Can |
If it was possible to judge an artist's character solely
by his work, I would have to say that Renoir was a very jolly, happy and nice
man. His works are not at all tortured
or dark.
Renoir was
one of the first group of artists who created Impressionism so his legacy is
undoubted. He lived until he was almost
80 (although he was very badly affected by arthritis in his last years). He was famous in his own lifetime and was
able to go to the Louvre and see his own work hung there. He died the year after WWI ended – in 1919.
Renoir - The Boat House Lunch Party |
While I
have seen the many Renoirs at the MuseƩ d'Orsay in Paris, I have now found out
that the largest collection of Renoirs is in fact at the Barnes Foundation in
Pennsylvania.
Renoir - Dance in the City |
Renoir
didn't paint fine art from early on. In
fact he worked as a porcelain painter.
He started on fine arts in his 20's.
Renoir - Dance in the Country |
Two of
Renoir's sons became famous in the French film industry. Clearly an artistic streak in that gene pool.
I've seen some at the Musee d' Orsay as well. There were quite a few at the Art Institute of Chicago last summer. I'd love to go to PA and see the museums and historical items there.
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