Renoir

I classici dell'arte #8

by Margherita d'Ayala Valva (Editor), Jean Renoir, William Morris

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 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.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2003

Reviews

[Theut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il valore aggiunto è la prefazione del figlio Jean. Per il resto, ottima la selezione di opere di questo volume della collana.

[Linda Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good introductory book to Renoir. I had not realized he and Monet had been close friends.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative insight into Renoir's life and painting processes. The book is most interesting when it details Renoir's friendships with other artists and critics.

[MXNU.BOOKS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buena serie de libros, te enseñan lo básico

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Modest effort .... only about 50 of his works are looked at (out of 5,000+ paintings he had executed) ... Also, Renoir's personality is not much better reflected, with patches of contradictory accounts (i.e. contradicting other sources) and a very sketchy, supperficial insight into his life.

An introduction by son, Jean Renoir, is taken out of another book he had written about Renoir. Everything points to a patchy work.

Aside from Renoir's distrust and rejection of academic/scientific approaches, I'll retain his friendships with Monet, Sisley, Mallarme, Cezanne (each friendship at its own time, with ups and downs depending on the point in the artists' careers); as well as the fact that he was commissioned to decorate Romanian Prince Bibesco's Palace in Paris in 1880s.

[Biblioteca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letto per una mostra

Letto prima di visitare una (mini) mostra su Renoir a Pavia, il libro ha i pregi della collana, con in pi�� la particolarit�� della prefazione, scritta dal figlio del grande pittore, il grande regista Jean (il talento abbondava in famiglia).

I due pi�� bei quadri in mostra, secondo me.

Jeune femme au chapeau noir

La Roche Guyon

[Ruth Charchian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding an artist that can be admired and understood takes quite a bit of looking and examining. Renoir is one of those artists. This book was put together for the first German retrospective exhibition of Renoir in 1996. Many of his less well known paintings have been included in this richly produced,over-sized, full color,scholarly explanation of each picture. The reader comes to admire Renoir's personal warmth as well as his rich and painterly personal style. It is no wonder that Cezanne, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec and van Gogh were justified in their admiration of Renoir and his art.

[Rosenkavalier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letto per una mostra

Letto prima di visitare una (mini) mostra su Renoir a Pavia, il libro ha i pregi della collana, con in più la particolarità della prefazione, scritta dal figlio del grande pittore, il grande regista Jean (il talento abbondava in famiglia).

I due più bei quadri in mostra, secondo me.

Jeune femme au chapeau noir

La Roche Guyon

[Inknscroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renoir is, also, one of my favorite artists. I would love to purchase & read this volume some day.