Author Description

A leading member of the impressionist movement, Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) exhibited regularly at the annual Salons, where he strove to enliven an establishment that had become stodgy with academic and history painting. Renoir's paintings of Parisians engaging in leisurely pasttimes, enjoying their dejeuner under a pergola or beside the Seine at an open-air cafe, sailing, swimming, picnicking, and dancing at one of the many halls in towns outside of the city, are imbued with a sense of conviviality and joie de vivre that was wholly new to the Salons. Renoir was enchanted by his subjects: whether friends, lovers, patrons, collectors, or family members, his portraits are characterized by gesture, expression, and a soft palette full of light, conveying a sense of pleasure in observation and always the charm of the individual portrayed. Brought together here are some of this prodigious artist's most significant canvases, including the luminous Le Moulin de la Galette, Luncheon of the Boating Party, and La Grenouillere.