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Renoir, Immersed in Sensation
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- Category: Painting
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- Written by Jan Lipes
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Renoir, Immersed in Sensation
A review of the Renoir Exhibition, "Renoir Landscapes," at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through January 6, 2008.
by Jan Lipes
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was a French Impressionist artist best known for his sensual depictions of women. Less well known is his profound and abiding love for landscapes, and his opinion that this genre was the place for innovation, experimentation and true growth as a painter.
Now on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) until January 6, 2008 is “Renoir Landscapes,” an exhibit of sixty-one paintings organized by the National Galleries in London, Ottawa and the PMA, with paintings on loan from private collections, museums and galleries in places as widespread as Moscow, Tokyo, Paris, New York, Sao Paolo and Brazil. The exhibition tickets are timed and the museum adheres to the schedule so that the inevitable throngs of visitors are bearable.
Renoir painted landscapes throughout his life, yet this is the first major show to concentrate on his work in this genre. The works on view cover the 1860s to the 80s, with most painted between 1872 to 1883. Fourteen works have never been seen in this country before, and it’s a safe bet to say that the majority will be unfamiliar to most visitors.