Renoir

BRUSHSTROKES OF A GENIUS
Rembrandt, da Vinci, Picasso,
Renoir... The difference between
artistic talent and artistic genius
can often be assessed in a single
brushstroke. Without question,
Pierre Auguste Renoir stands at
the forefront of history’s most
recognized and acclaimed
artists...a true artistic genius,
whose work speaks volumes
about the man himself and the
world in which he lived.

Courtesy of M.S. Rau Antiques

 Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
1841-1919 · French.
Paysage vers Cagnes-
sur-Mer. Signed “Renoir”
(lower right). Oil on
canvas. Circa 1899.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
1841-1919 · French.
Paysage, arbres et lande
au fond. 1892. Stamped
“Renoir” (lower right). Oil
on canvas.
V isit any internationally recognized art
museum and you will find the works of
Renoir prominently featured. Indeed,
the artist’s works are considered among a
museum’s most precious, often serving as the
focal point of their Impressionist collection.
And with good reason... the opportunity to
acquire an authentic Renoir is almost non-
existent...until now.
Les Voiliers au Bord de Mer (Haystacks
by the Sea), is characteristic of the Renoir’s
genius. It exhibits a palette of color and ease
of brushstroke that can only be associated
with the man who would help fuel an artistic
revolution. It was painted by Renoir at
the apex of his artistic career in 1895 and
certainly appeals to both art connoisseurs
and novices alike.
Born in Limoges, France in 1841, Renoir
initially exhibited a love for painting at the
young age of 13. While apprenticed to a
painter of porcelain wares, he studied famous
works in the Louvre during his spare time.
Mesmerized by the vivid palette of Eugene
Delecroix and the works of the French rococo
masters, Renoir embraced the use of vibrant
colors and lighthearted themes that would
later define much of his life’s work.
At the age of 21, Renoir moved to Paris and
enrolled at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux
Arts. The young artist studied under Charles
Gleyre, whose other students included Claude
Monet, Alfred Sisley and Jean-Frederic
Bazille. Renoir began meeting and exhibiting
with his classmates, along with several other
French artists, and became instrumental in
establishing the group widely known as the
French Impressionists.
Working closely with Monet, Renoir began
experimenting with portraying light and its
effect on his canvasses. Though he was the
youngest member of the “Impressionist”
movement, Renoir recognized how a subject
was constantly changing due to the dynamic
effects of light on color. Capturing a particular
moment in time, or an “impression,” rather
than a subjective scene, was central to the
group’s philosophy. It would become the
most important artistic phenomenon of the
19th century.
Renoir began exhibiting his paintings
in Paris in 1864, but it wasn’t until the first
organized Impressionist exhibit 10 years
later that he gained widespread recognition.
His lively, sensual paintings set him apart
from his peers and, through his work, Renoir
created a modern, carefree image of the
French bourgeoisie.
During the 1870s, Renoir enjoyed great
success as a portraitist and an inspiring
trip to Italy in 1881 led him to develop the
increasingly singular artistic style with which
we are most familiar today. Renoir’s solo
exhibition in 1883 at the Durand-Ruel Gallery
in Paris confirmed his position as one of the
leading artistic masters of the day.
Relying heavily upon composition, lines
and descriptive details, Renoir distinguished
himself among his contemporaries. His
intuitive use of color and expansive
brushstrokes, along with an acute attention
to his subject matter, have placed him among
the finest painters in history.
By the turn of the century, the name Renoir
was recognized around the world. The
successful artist, suffering from rheumatism,
moved to the warmth of the south of France
and by 1912 was confined to a wheelchair.
Renoir continued to paint, and even sculpt,
with the help of studio assistants, until his
death in 1919.
Renoir had the remarkable ability to
translate the ordinary into the extraordinary.
A scene such as Les Voiliers au Bord de Mer
becomes a masterpiece of beauty and light at
the hand of this amazing artist. Renoir is not
only one of the greatest of the Impressionist
painters, but he is considered one of the
greatest artists of all time. To acquire this
painting is to own a genuine piece of art
history and a true masterpiece.
For more information, please visit
www.rauantiques.com.