The Happiness of Renoir

Monet and Renoir met each other in Paris already in 1862, while they were studying under Charles Gleyre. Renoir also met and befriended Alfred Sisley and Frdric Bazille there. However, it was not until that first impressionist exhibition more than 10 years later that Renoir and Monet really started to receive public recognition.

The works of Renoir are today considered among the finest within the school of impressionism. He used his brush to delicately apply color to the canvas, with thin visible brush strokes dissolving the clear outlines in favor of free touches of color that allowed his subjects to flow together. He worked outdoor and his works reflected a vibrant use of light and colors. It was indeed in the 1860s working outdoors that he and Monet discovered that shadows were not actually black but rather reflected the colors around them, a practice known as diffuse reflection. Renoir believed that paintings should be fun, beautiful and pleasant to look at. His works most definitely emphasized this as he immortalized many a Parisian scene of joy and revelry, as well as pleasant scenes of peace and of course a number of nudes.

The probably most famous among the many works of Renoir is Dance at Moulin de la Galette (Bal du Moulin de la Galette) which was painted by Renoir in 1876. It depicts a Sunday afternoon at the Moulin de la Galette at Montmartre in Paris where working class Parisians would come to enjoy and be merry. As such, Renoir's focus on the joy and happiness of the scene is clear. Another famous Renoir is Luncheon of the Boating Party from 1881 which depict a group of Renoir;s friends having lunch on the balcony at Maison Fournaise on the Seine river outside of Paris. Again, we see the merry, happy aspect of painting shine through. Both paintings are also impressionistic classics with delicate brush strokes, color over line, movement and outside subjects engaged in everyday life. These two are probably Renoir's most famous works, with Moulin de la Galette also among the most expensive paintings in the world, having traded at USD 78.1 million in 1990. However, Renoir made several thousand paintings in his career, and many others, like Girl with a Watering Cup, On The Terrace, his masterful depictions of Bathers and more captured the imagination of artists and laymen alike, and contributed to make him among the most celebrated painters ever. Throughout his works, including all the examples given, he stayed true to his positive vision of art, of color and of sensuality. This warmth, joy and life in his paintings makes them a pleasure to observe, thus fueling his amazing popularity. A Renoir on the wall help make any room a content place for joyous occasions, just as the artist intended.

Today, the largest single collection of Renoir paintings can be found at Barnes Foundation near Philadelphia in the US. They hold 181 paintings by Renoir. However, less can do when an artist has the power to imbue a single canvas with the qualities of joy, love and happiness, so take a look at your local museum and see for yourself. Let the master work his influence on you, as you too become a fan.

To see a large selection of hand painted oil painting reproductions from all the great artists please check out art reproductions. This article was originally published as The Happiness of Renoir.