Pierre-Auguste Renoir

A few weeks back I created a post on Five of My Favorite Painting Styles. I began the post by expressing my love for traditional art. Number one on my list was Impressionism, so I decided to create a follow up post that focuses on Pierre-Auguste Renoir, whose paintings have captured me from the very beginning of my art journey. 

Renoir was born on February 25, 1841. He was a French artist who helped lead the impressionist movement. In his early life, he was inspired by modern painters, Edouard Manet and Camille Pissarro. In April of 1874, his love for them encouraged him to join both artists, including a few others, in creating the first impressionist exhibition. The exhibit itself was largely unfavorable, but Renoir's work was well received.

Renoir's primary subject was the female's nude body. These paintings captured the warm sensuality of a woman's curve through candid compositions. His paintings were light, sensitive and full of life. But nudes were not the only subject Renoir was interested in. He also painted children, flowers, fruit, landscapes, riverbanks,  the ocean, festivities and more.

When taking his work outdoors from the studio to paint en plein air, Renoir, alongside close friend and famous artist, Claude Monet, discovered that shadows were not black or brown, but carried the reflected color of the object that surrounded it. This technique was called diffuse reflection, and it changed the way impressionists represented light. Way to go, gentlemen! This diffuse reflection caused Renoir to become obsessed with the way light bounced off the water, and how people's reflection looked in the water.

On a trip to Italy in 1881, Renoir came across the works of Renaissance masters, which influenced him to begin a path towards classicism. This did not last long! Shortly after, Renoir shifted gears once more, going back to his roots while engaging in a smaller paint stroke that resembled his earlier works. From this moment on, he submerged himself into painting nudes, which he is most known for today.

Although Renoir developed rheumatoid arthritis, he continued painting for 20 years, even with the limitations the disease caused him. A prolific painter, he created well over a thousand works of art before passing away on December 3, 1919.

Here are a few of Pierre-Auguste Renoir's most notable works of art, and my personal favorites.

Le pêcheur à la ligne

Giovane Donna in Un Paesaggio a Cagnes

Chrysan The Mums

The Bathers (1919)

A Woman With a Dog Portrait of Madame Renoir

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Figures On The Beach

A recommendation:

Renoir, the movie, was released in 2012. Director Gilles Bourdos does an outstanding job capturing the painter's life and passion for art. The scenes are as light, vivid and captivating as his works of art. It makes for the perfect 'date night' movie. 

You can watch the trailer here.

A portrait of Renoir

I hope this post will spark in you a desire to see more of Renoir's work. Begin by watching the movie, or by going to see his paintings up close at the Met. Have fun getting to know this great impressionist master and his works of art! 

Five of My Favorite Painting Styles

I have always been a traditional art-lover through and through, but in most recent years and with all the galleries I have visited, my love for different art styles has broadened. 

Her are my top 5 favorite painting styles and why! 

1. Impressionism, why? Because Renoir is the man! Developed in Paris in the 1860s, the impressionist movement spread like wild-fire through Europe. The strokes used to paint an impressionist painting were looser, yet subtly defined with vivid colors. The impressionist artists were given freedom to shatter the linear traditional styles of earlier times by avoiding clarity and precise definition in their paintings. Some of my favorite impressionist painters include, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renior, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet and Auguste Rodin.
2. Abstract Art began in New York in the 1940s and 1950s. It took a while for abstract paintings to grow on me. I am happy it did, because as time passes I become more intrigued, impressed and inspired by abstract art. What I love most about it is the limitless boundaries one approaches when admiring the works of others', and while painting abstractly for oneself. Abstract artists who capture me are Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Henri Matisse. I highly recommend checking out some of their work.
3. Photorealism came forth in the same period as Conceptual art, Pop art and Minimalism. Every time I encounter a piece of art from a photorealist, I wonder, is it a photograph, or not? I am always fascinated by the incredible skill of artists who create these precise and realistic styles of paintings. The first up-close painting I saw of the super famous Chuck Close was at the Met, and I almost tripped over the red rope that separates us from getting too close to the painting, because I kept moving in closer and closer to the enormous portrait of "Mark." A few other photorealist painters who I love are Andy Warhol and David Kassan.
4. Expressionism emerged in Germany. The movement lasted from about 1905 to 1920. For the expressionist painter, art came forth from within as opposed to efforts to depict the external world. These paintings captured the artist's emotional reaction to an ever-changing and advancing world. One of the most well known examples of this style is The Scream by Edvard Munch. I truly appreciate the emotionally charged swirles and strokes, along with the vivid and vibrant colors that make-up the expressionist style. Additional expressionist artists to look out for are Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Ernest Ludwig Kirchner and Franz Marc. 
5. Post Painterly Abstract represents a variety of styles that express a painterly approach to Abstract Expressionism. The term was coined by Clement Greenberg in 1964. The Post Painterly Abstract style is linear, but free, and showcases a child-like spirit through the bold colors and fun movement. Every time I encounter one of these paintings, it reminds me of the endless creative possibilities of art! Some artists to check out from this genre include, Morris Louis, Frank Stella and Helena Frankenthaler.

Well, there you have it, my five favorite painting styles and a few artists who best represent each genre.  I recommend viewing their works. Who knows, maybe a flicker of inspiration, or perhaps even a large flame could be ignited!