Renoir gets a breath of fresh air
In a current exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, “Renoir Landscapes: 1865-1883”, we are introduced to an aspect of Renoir’s work that may be somewhat unfamiliar. At least, it’s not what we picture when we think of Renoir’s most famous paintings: sensitive portraits of adults and children, lush still lifes, demure but voluptuous nudes. This exhibition is the first large display of Renoir’s landscape paintings, which received relatively little attention even from the artist himself, who seems to have undervalued them.
However, even dedicated Renoir fans may be pleasantly surprised by the range of painting styles revealed in these works. His technique in creating textures, for example, varies considerably from painting to painting, and he seems to choose his approach according to his subject matter. His own brand of realism was at odds with Impressionist technique, in that he had a naturalist’s eye for detail and was able to evoke not only light but movement and atmospheric changes.
Some of his paintings even give us a glimpse at his influence on later artists. There are echoes of pointillism and, in some cases, an abstract quality that reminds us of Cezanne.
This exhibition gives us a new and surprising look at a painter who may previously have seemed completely familiar.
Next entry: Color in Shadows
Previous entry: Helpful Hints for the Artist #9
