When it comes to Impressionism, the first thing that comes to mind is "Monet", but my favorite is always "Renoir", for a very simple reason, that is, his paintings are really!Good!Look!
Swing La Balan Oire 1876
Musée D. Musée d'orsay
Renoir has always said:
There are already too many "ugly" in the world, why should I increase it?So, I want to create "beauty"!
Indeed, in his paintings, you can always feel happiness, pleasure and peace of mind, which I cannot find in the works of other painters.
Dance at Bougival C1882
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
To appreciate Renoir's paintings, you don't need to know any knowledge at all, because he paints "secular scenes", but the magical "Renoir" can do it
If he paints landscapes, he wants you to walk in them, and if he paints people, he wants you to reach out and touch them.
A girl with a watering can 1876
National Gallery of Art, Washington
No matter who he is, when he goes to admire the paintings of "Renoir", once his eyes fall on the canvas, it will be difficult to take them off, because his paintings are so beautiful, this is where his "charm" lies!
So in this article, let's talk about this painter who has been "depicting happiness" all his life.
Renoir, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1841-1919
Renoir was born in Limoges, France, and later the family moved to Paris, Limoges is Jingdezhen in Europe, rich in porcelain, Renoir's father was a tailor, the family's economic conditions are average, Renoir has been very fond of painting since he was a child, at the age of 13, he began to paint "porcelain paintings" in the ceramic workshop in Paris.
Seascape 1879
Art Institute of Chicago
In fact, it is quite difficult to paint "porcelain painting", because it requires "brushstrokes" and needs to be very delicate, so that bright colors can be spread on the surface of white porcelain.
And porcelain painting is not only "two-dimensional", the painter also needs to master the painting of three-dimensional space, these skills have laid a very solid foundation for Renoir's later paintings, I don't believe us to look at this "Bouquet of Spring".
Spring Bouqet 1866
Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, USA
The vase in the painting, and each bouquet of flowers inserted in it, Renoir has depicted them with extraordinary care, those blooming flowers, as if they have just been picked from the outside, you seem to smell their fragrance, if Renoir does not have so many years of "porcelain painting" skills, it is difficult to paint such a beautiful "still life".
When Renoir was an apprentice in a ceramic workshop, he would go to the "Louvre" to copy the paintings of those masters, he admired Rubens's paintings of nudes, and also liked the works of Boucher and Watteau, the "light style" and "aesthetic mood" in Watto's paintings can really be said to have influenced Renoir's life.
Watteau: 1717
le pèlerinage à l'île de cythère
Louvre, Paris
At the age of 20, Renoir began his painting career in earnest when he studied in the studio of Charles Gleyre.
It was also in Glaire's studio that he met a bunch of Impressionist friends, such as Monet, Sisley, and Bazier.
Studio Badenon un atelier aux Batignolles, 1870.
Musée D. Musée d'orsay, paris
In fact, among the painters of Impressionism, Renoir was the least "rebellious", because he never regarded painting as a tool of battle, and for him, "painting" was just because he liked to paint.
Renoir's painting style was still "classical" at the beginning, very gray and cold tones, because he wanted to be recognized by the official salon.
At Mrs. Anthony's tavern Mother Anthony'S T**ern 1866 @ National Museum
But no matter how hard Renoir tried to participate in the salon, the official just didn't recognize him, which was really a catastrophe for the painters of the time!
Because the only way for them to "monetize" was to rely on the approval of the salon and then sell their paintings to make money, but this road did not work for Renoir, or all the Impressionist painters could not go through, so they completely abandoned the "official".
Mr. and Mrs. Sisley, Alfred Sisley & Son Épouse, 1868
Wallrav-Richard Museum, Germany.
wallraf–richartz museum
After that, Renoir's style began to be carried away by Monet, such as this painting "Frog Pond", Renoir: Frog Pond La Grenouillère 1869
National Museum, Stockholm
Monet and he painted one together, and almost all of them were depicted from the same angle, Monet: The Frog Pond bain à la grenouillère 1869
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The biggest highlight of these two paintings is the sparkling beauty of "light" shining on the water, but it is from these two paintings that you can see the biggest difference between Renoir and Monet, that is, Renoir likes to "paint people", while Monet likes to "paint scenes".
Renoir has always said:
Nature is so lonely, only the crowd can put me at ease.
Therefore, he created "The Dance of the Pancake Mill", which is known as one of the top masterpieces of Impressionism, in this painting, there are more than 100 people, Renoir really likes to be lively!
Bal du Moulin de la Galette at the mill of pancakes 1876
Musée d. Musée d'orsay
The Dance at the Pancake Mill depicts a dance party in a large garden, where boys and girls are singing, dancing, drinking and merrymaking, and the sun "slanting down through the leaves, sprinkling the characters' faces and clothes", and the soft light on the ground, which really makes this painting a joy!
Renoir showed the vitality of everyone at the ball so vividly that you seem to be able to hear their whispering laughter, and the reason why Renoir was able to paint this painting so "colorful" is first of all because he can perceive the small beauty of ordinary life, and he also works the "light and shadow" in the painting:
For example, when it comes to people, there are actually different colors, purple, green, and yellow, in fact, of course, the light spots will not have so many colors, but I have to admit that after Renoir's description, the sunlight "instantly flowed under his pen."
This is Renoir, his paintings are not as revolutionary as Monet, nor as critical as Degas, but he loves painting, loves life, and perceives "happiness" more than the average person, so Maupassant would say:
Renoir saw the world through "rose-colored glasses".
Parisian woman, La Parisienne, 1874
National Museum Cardiff, UK
Perhaps it is because of this that Renoir became one of the first members of the Impressionists to be recognized, and when he was 37 years old, the famous French publisher Charpentier took a fancy to him and asked him to paint a portrait of his wife and children, which is the famous "Madame Charpentier and her children", and Renoir also "became famous in the first fight" because of this painting.
Madame Charpentier and her children 1878
mme. charpentier and her children
Metropolitan Museum of Art
From this painting, you can see that Renoir is really good at showing the best side of the "character", not to please the owner, but in his eyes, the people he paints are so beautiful.
In this painting, Madame Charpentier looks gracefully and gently at her two children, who are also very lovely!
It is difficult to draw children, because they are constantly moving, and it is impossible to paint the beautiful side of children if they are not a sensual and loving painter, and in this painting, Renoir perfectly expresses the natural and unpretentious cuteness of the two children.
Due to Monsieur Charpentier's high social status, in the Salon of 1879, the painting Madame Charpentier and Her Children was placed in a very prominent position, which made Renoir suddenly popular, and many people began to come to him to paint, the actor was called Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary 1878
Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
Among them was the famous French banker Louis Cahen D'Anvers), he asked Renoir to paint a picture of his daughter, and this painting was the famous "Little Irene".
Portrait of Irène Cahen D'anvers c.1880
Zurich Galleria Collection Foundation E g. bührle
This portrait is "in the top three" in the history of art, but it is very unpopular with the owner, and it is said that he has always hung the painting in the nanny room at home.
I think this was mainly due to the fact that the wealthy people of the time still liked portraits like Madame de Pompadour
It is necessary to have an aristocratic temperament, but also to have a variety of luxurious accessories.
Portrait of Madame de Pompadour
But Renoir only depicted the simplest beauty of little Irene, but as everyone knows, this kind of beauty is the most "advanced"!
In the painting, little Irene's golden hair under the shawl is delicately depicted by Renoir with fluffy and light brushstrokes, and her gray eyes looking into the distance, against the background of the foliage, which is really unforgettable.
After painting "Little Irene", Renoir went on a long trip to Italy, because he had worked too long and wanted to rest, and then he also wanted to see the masterpieces of the Renaissance masters with his own eyes, but it was this trip that became a turning point in his painting career, and at the same time a turning point in his life.
to be continued...
The Dancing Girl The dancer 1874
National Gallery of Art, Washington