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A world detached from struggles of urban life: Renoir's rarely seen drawings on display
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a master of luminous colours and sensual brushwork, has been reduced to mere commodity by blockbuster exhibitions. However, his lesser-known collection of drawings, pastels, watercolours, and prints reveal an artist of depth and complexity.
The Morgan Library & Museum in New York is currently hosting the first exhibition in over 100 years dedicated entirely to Renoir's works on paper. The show, titled Renoir Drawings, features more than a hundred pieces from various mediums, including pencil, crayon, pastel, watercolour, and red chalk.
Colin Bailey, director of the Morgan and curator of the show, notes that while Renoir's paintings are familiar, his drawings offer a fresh perspective on the artist. "Works on paper are not exhibited permanently in any institution," he explains. "Having access to watercolours and pastels expands our knowledge of the artist." The exhibition allows viewers to see Renoir's development as an artist, tracing his career from early academic drawings to late-period studies.
Renoir's journey began in Limoges, France, where he grew up in Paris and started decorating porcelain. He was influenced by Gustave Courbet and met fellow artists Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley, who would later define Impressionism. By 1869, Renoir was painting alongside Monet on the banks of the Seine, experimenting with a brighter palette and lighter touch.
Among the standout works in Renoir Drawings are delicate pastel portraits, such as Portrait of a Girl (Elisabeth Maître) (1879), and intimate late-period studies of his wife, Aline, and their young sons. The exhibition also features a suite of drawings related to the sculpture The Judgement of Paris (1914), created in collaboration with sculptor Richard Guino.
Bailey notes that Renoir's resilience and resourcefulness are evident in his later works, particularly during his struggles with arthritis. "Arthritis doesn't stop him from painting ambitious large nudes and landscapes," he says. "In a way, like Monet's cataracts and Degas's blindness, artists have a sort of muscle memory and they can continue to create."
The last comprehensive exhibition devoted to Renoir's drawings was at the Galerie Durand-Ruel in Paris in 1921. Bailey hopes that this show will amplify people's understanding of Renoir's productivity and showcase his accomplishments in different media.
Renoir Drawings is on display at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York until February 8th, offering a rare glimpse into the life and work of one of the greatest artists of the Impressionist movement.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a master of luminous colours and sensual brushwork, has been reduced to mere commodity by blockbuster exhibitions. However, his lesser-known collection of drawings, pastels, watercolours, and prints reveal an artist of depth and complexity.
The Morgan Library & Museum in New York is currently hosting the first exhibition in over 100 years dedicated entirely to Renoir's works on paper. The show, titled Renoir Drawings, features more than a hundred pieces from various mediums, including pencil, crayon, pastel, watercolour, and red chalk.
Colin Bailey, director of the Morgan and curator of the show, notes that while Renoir's paintings are familiar, his drawings offer a fresh perspective on the artist. "Works on paper are not exhibited permanently in any institution," he explains. "Having access to watercolours and pastels expands our knowledge of the artist." The exhibition allows viewers to see Renoir's development as an artist, tracing his career from early academic drawings to late-period studies.
Renoir's journey began in Limoges, France, where he grew up in Paris and started decorating porcelain. He was influenced by Gustave Courbet and met fellow artists Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley, who would later define Impressionism. By 1869, Renoir was painting alongside Monet on the banks of the Seine, experimenting with a brighter palette and lighter touch.
Among the standout works in Renoir Drawings are delicate pastel portraits, such as Portrait of a Girl (Elisabeth Maître) (1879), and intimate late-period studies of his wife, Aline, and their young sons. The exhibition also features a suite of drawings related to the sculpture The Judgement of Paris (1914), created in collaboration with sculptor Richard Guino.
Bailey notes that Renoir's resilience and resourcefulness are evident in his later works, particularly during his struggles with arthritis. "Arthritis doesn't stop him from painting ambitious large nudes and landscapes," he says. "In a way, like Monet's cataracts and Degas's blindness, artists have a sort of muscle memory and they can continue to create."
The last comprehensive exhibition devoted to Renoir's drawings was at the Galerie Durand-Ruel in Paris in 1921. Bailey hopes that this show will amplify people's understanding of Renoir's productivity and showcase his accomplishments in different media.
Renoir Drawings is on display at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York until February 8th, offering a rare glimpse into the life and work of one of the greatest artists of the Impressionist movement.