Renoir: Impressionism and Full-Length Painting
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Renoir: Impressionism and Full-Length Painting Details
Review "Exceptional reproductions (many full page) of preliminary sketches and studies, stunning details, and period photographs ignite the text of this catalogue. . . . This volume, which accompanies what surely will be remembered as one of the year's most satisfying small shows, makes a major contribution to Renoir scholarship."—R.T. Clement, Choice (R.T. Clement Choice) Read more About the Author Colin B. Bailey is the deputy director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator at The Frick Collection, New York. Read more
Reviews
This book may be a bit too specific for those who have only a general interest in Impressionist painting, but for lovers of Renoir in particular it is really indispensable. For one thing, the text could not be more authoritative; Colin B. Bailey, its sole author, is one of the most widely respected historians of French art and a specialist on Renoir. As Deputy Director and Chief Curator of The Frick Collection, he was responsible for the planning and execution of the exhibition (February to May, 2012 at The Frick) to which this book is the accompanying catalogue. To put the Frick's own "La Promenade" (1875-76; not to be confused with the Getty's 1870 painting of the same name) into an illuminating context, the exhibition brought together eight more of Renoir's full-length paintings from the decade of Impressionism, from as near as Boston and as far as St. Petersburg, including some well-known works like "Jeanne Samary," "The Umbrellas," and "Dance at Bougival." Dr. Bailey begins with an introductory chapter tracing Renoir's production of large-format paintings from 1863 to 1885, his vacillations between the Salon and the Impressionist shows, and his frequently frustrated efforts to find a market for his work. (A well annotated appendix reproduces in smaller format sixty-six of these paintings.) There follow nine more chapters, each dedicated to a comprehensive discussion of one of the exhibited paintings, and the breadth of the context in which the paintings are analyzed is what makes this volume so engaging and so unique. There is a great deal of information on the fashions of the day, with reproductions from fashion catalogues and magazine advertisements that Renoir actually consulted to ensure that his female figures were up-to-date. We learn much about the models and sitters and their motivations and Renoir's relations with them, and it is quite interesting to follow the fate of the paintings themselves and the horse-trading that determines it and where they will finally wind up. There is solid information about the backgrounds to these paintings, and the book is amusing and entertaining as well. Dr. Bailey is extremely erudite, but his writing is straightforward and witty. There is full apparatus for each painting and meticulous annotation of each discussion, so that the volume will also be useful to scholars. The reproductions are all excellent and the book itself is attractively designed, so it's a very welcome addition to the Renoir library.
