Pierre Auguste Renoir is considered one of the most prominent representatives of Impressionism, and although this direction is not the only one in his work, I want to talk specifically about him.
Characteristics
Impressionism arose after the appearance of daguerreotype, which, like the classical style of painting, retained and showed in great detail all the details of the photograph.
Impressionists were forced to look for new ways to image. They began to focus not on form, color, social orientation or morality. Impressionism is, first of all, spirit, mood, impression. It is no accident that the impressionists, in particular, Auguste Renoir, began to paint in the open air, and not in the studio, as was customary for old-school artists. The rejection of black paint is also a hallmark of this style. By mixing and overlapping different shades of five colors, the necessary depth and volume were achieved.
Renoir's manner of painting
How to distinguish the manner in which Renoir worked? The description of the paintings of this painter is often accompanied by such words as “haze”, “veil”, “veil”, etc. Take a look at one of the artist’s favorite works - “Society in Berneval”. This picture of Renoir was with him until the end of his life. The point is not only that it depicts people dear to him, the sons of Jean and Pierre and Julie Manet with cousins, to whom he had paternal feelings, but also that peace and serenity that radiates from the summer landscape.
"The girl in the hat"
In general, the Impressionists tried to portray life as a series of holidays. For this they were condemned by contemporaries. People wanted to see instructive stories, a reason for reflection, a moral lesson - that is what they are used to in traditional painting. Renoir's painting “The Girl in the Hat” has blurry outlines, soft, smooth lines. There is no character, passion in it, the young woman asked the painter to sit down in order to preserve a fashionable hat on the canvas. The girl sits, unconsciously propping her head in her hand, her gaze is calm and interested. It seems that the artist is telling something interesting. She even forgot about her new charlotte hat. Most likely, the girl knows the artist well. Art historians believe that this is the daughter of one of Renoir's friends, and posing for a portrait is not new to her.
Girls at the Piano
The artist portrayed women, girls and children with great love. Plots are often repeated. He worked on one topic many times. Renoir's painting "Girls at the Piano" in several versions is stored in various museums around the world. One of them, from the collection of O. Krebs, can be seen in the Hermitage. In the world there are five or six paintings of Renoir with this plot. The Hermitage exhibited work that could have been considered unfinished if it had not been signed by the artist. Apparently, this painting by Renoir was inspired by the music of Debussy, who in those years was looking for ways to convey the transparency of the colors of nature in the timbre of sound. The canvas is painted in oil, but light colors, a harmonious combination of warm and cold shades create the feeling of a watercolor drawing.
Umbrellas
Renoir lived for nearly 80 years, and if not for periodic health problems, his life could be considered quite happy. But this is not entirely correct. Creativity brought him grief. At the dawn of impressionism, he was neglected. The first exhibition of 1874 failed, and the young artists were given the name "Impressionists" as an insult.
The famous "Umbrellas" - a typical example of the creative search for Renoir.
X-ray analysis of the canvas showed that the painter finished the picture several times. Its right side has not changed and is made in an impressionistic manner, but on the left side there are more similarities with the photograph. The painter corrected the lines and made them clear, with pronounced borders. Moreover, following the fashion, he initially portrayed the lady in the foreground with a hat, and subsequently removed it. The dress of this lady was also replaced.
Not much time passed, and Auguste Renoir became a respected representative of the school of impressionism in his country and around the world, and France became the birthplace of this beautiful style.