"Romaine Lacaux", Pierre-Auguste Renoir NFT on XRPL
"Romaine Lacaux", Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Collection: Cleveland Originals
This painting may be Renoir's earliest signed canvas. Its sensitive display of color and light communicates an ideal of delicate, youthful beauty. The luminous tones of the background drapery and of the child's white blouse result from the artist's careful observation of reflected light and color on translucent materials. The delicate nuances of color, particularly in the young girl's face, reveal Renoir's previous training as a decorator of porcelain. He painted this portrait, commissioned by the vacationing Lacaux family, during his stay at an artist's colony in the village of Barbizon, near Paris. "fun_fact": "The son of a poor tailor from Limoges, Renoir began his artistic career at age 13 as an apprentice to a porcelain painter." Artist Bio: Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was a French Impressionist painter. Capable of painting in many different styles, even within the same canvas, Renoir was truly prolific, creating over 6,000 works in his lengthy career. He had a preference for nudes and children, and though his themes changed over the years, he almost always presented a colorful and carefree view of the world. Youth Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, France, on February 25, 1841. His parents belonged to the lower middle class. His father, Léonard, was a tailor, and his mother, Marguerite, a seamstress, but the family's business was not doing well, forcing them to move to Paris in search of better opportunities, a goal that eluded them. Young Pierre-Auguste showed talent for both singing and drawing. His first real artistic endeavors took place when he worked, as a 13-year-old apprentice, at a local ceramic factory, painting designs on Chinese porcelain. After work, he attended free art classes, where he learned to use oil paints. His daily work succumbed to technological advancements, so he had to switch to painting murals in cafes and other commissions he could find. Starting from 1860, he supplemented his income, while increasing his artistic knowledge, by copying works at the Louvre Museum. Art historian Véronique Bouruet-Aubertot describes Renoir's character as follows: "Renoir was sociable, calm, and adaptable, a person who felt comfortable both in bourgeois salons and in popular meeting places." RENOIR STRUGGLED TO GET MONEY EVEN TO BUY THE PAINTS AND CANVASES TO CONTINUE HIS CAREER. Later on, Renoir formally studied painting with Swiss artist Charles Gleyre, where he had the rare opportunity to work with live models. It was there that Renoir met other young students who, together, would revolutionize art. Among them were Alfred Sisley (1839-1899), Claude Monet (1840-1926), and Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870). Through Monet, they also got to know Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and Paul Cézanne (1839-1906). These young artists would form the core of the Impressionist movement. Impressionism Impressionism involved the attempt to capture the temporary effects of light and color in painting, using quick and intense brushstrokes, working outdoors (en plein air). It featured a palette with much more color than previously used and focused primarily on nature and everyday life, rather than mythological and religious scenes. This approach went against the ultraconservative dominant trend, making it very difficult for the young artists to exhibit their paintings in the only place where they could gain fame and lucrative commissions: the Salon de Paris. Since 1862, Renoir had been studying at the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts in Paris, where he excelled. He also joined Monet and others on painting excursions to the Fontainebleau forest on the outskirts of Paris. Renoir then secured several portrait and still-life commissions from Jules Le Coeur (1832-1882). In 1864, Renoir's painting "La esmeralda" was accepted by the Salon de Paris. Disenchanted by the lack of response from critics and the public, Renoir later destroyed the painting. In 1865, Renoir shared a studio with the generous Bazille, who covered most of the bills. That year, the Salon accepted one of his landscapes and a portrait, perhaps because these works were much more traditional than his other paintings. Still, making a living with his art proved challenging. Unable to support himself and lacking wealthy connections, Renoir was forced to rely on friends, but he persevered nonetheless. In the summer of 1865, he painted with Sisley in Le Havre. Lise Tréhot was 17 when she first met Renoir in late 1865, becoming his lover and the subject of more than 20 of his paintings. A portrait of her was accepted by the Salon in 1867 (several more would be accepted in subsequent Salon exhibitions). For the first time, Renoir was gaining recognition because the portrait was much more in the style of the works he regularly produced, with the intense brushstrokes that were the hallmark of the Impressionists. Still, he had to struggle to get money, even to buy the paints and canvases with which to continue his career. In 1869, Renoir and Monet worked together at La Grenouillère, a fashionable resort on the Seine, and began developing their new pictorial style, emphasizing the fleeting effects of light. Suddenly, this artistic revolution came to a halt in 1870 with the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. Renoir was conscripted into the army and fortunately sent away from the front lines to a cavalry regiment in Bordeaux, although he contracted dysentery. The other Impressionists scattered or were conscripted; Bazille died during that brief conflict, profoundly affecting Renoir and his fellow Impressionists. Upon returning to Paris in peacetime, several new commissions allowed Renoir to rent his own studio. The prominent art dealer and friend of the Impressionists, Paul Durand-Ruel (1831-1922), bought two of Renoir's paintings for his gallery, and a small number of collectors began showing interest in Renoir's work. In 1872, Lise left him to marry an architect. Meanwhile, Renoir painted, alongside Monet, in Argenteuil, a fashionable weekend resort for wealthy Parisians. Both would return the following summer to paint more effects of light on the water. Two rejections by the Salon in 1873 made Renoir, along with other Impressionists, realize that the way forward was to organize an independent exhibition space exclusively for avant-garde artists. Renoir presented six works at the first Impressionist exhibition held in Paris in 1874. He sold two, but the reception was disappointing, and many critics were ruthless in their analyses of an artistic style they did not want to understand. The Impressionists organized an auction in 1875, but it was a failure, much like the previous year's exhibition, leaving Renoir's financial situation as precarious as ever. In the same year, he hired a new regular model, Margot Legrand (ca. 1856-1879), who would become his lover until her death from smallpox in 1879. In 1876, Renoir painted one of his most famous works, "Dance at the Moulin de la Galette," depicting fashionable young Parisians dancing in Montmartre. Portraitist After the failure of two more Impressionist exhibitions, which could have provided material support to the artist but only brought more criticism, Renoir decided, starting in 1878, to paint more easily marketable subjects, especially portraits. Without abandoning his Impressionist style, he now added more structure and form that, along with his brilliant palette, appealed more to buyers. In 1878, one of his canvases was accepted at the Salon, and two more in 1879 (as well as two pastel paintings), leading to an increase in portrait commissions. A wealthy patron who regularly commissioned paintings was the diplomat Paul Bérard. The two became great friends, and Renoir often stayed with him at his Normandy castle. Dealer Durand-Ruel also increased his investment in Renoir's works, allowing him to visit North Africa in 1881. In Algeria, impressed by the light and colors, Renoir painted people and places. Back in Chatou, west of Paris, Renoir painted one of his most famous works, "Luncheon of the Boating Party," depicting a relaxed group at one of the artist's favorite spots, the Fournaise restaurant. By late 1881, Renoir was on the move again, this time on a tour of Italy to see treasures of Renaissance art. The artist traveled with his new model and lover, Aline Charigot, and continued painting, even capturing the famous composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883) in Sicily, in a rare portrait. His focus on portraits is explained by Renoir's remark: "The trouble with Italy is that it's too beautiful. Why bother to paint, when it's so delightful to look around?" (Roe, 227). Renoir's Style Back in France, Renoir worked with Cézanne in L'Estaque. With a new palette inspired by his experiences in Algeria and Italy, and a greater emphasis on composition, under Cézanne's guidance, Renoir moved away from Impressionism to create his own unique style. The process was not easy, and it took the artist years to perfect it. Renoir's mature style combined soft contours and colors with much finer, delicate brushstrokes. Often, the colors had a translucent quality, like designs on porcelain. He also shifted towards a more methodical construction of his paintings, with several sketches and preparatory studies leading up to the final canvas painting in his studio, though this preparation never compromised his iconic sense of spontaneity. He had a preference for nudes in nature (often referred to as "bathers"), and on one occasion, he said, "I never thought I had finished a nude until I could pinch it". He also created many portraits, scenes of nature with children, and still lifes, which he particularly enjoyed, stating, "I rest my brain when I paint flowers" . A severe bout of pneumonia and a period of convalescence in 1882, along with his previous foreign absences, resulted in Renoir being somewhat out of the critical and public eye. This led to a decline in commissions and a return to economic precarity. At least, his international reputation was already solidified thanks to exhibitions in London, Berlin, and Boston in 1883. Other trips abroad included stays in Guernsey, Marseille, and Genoa, but back in Paris, the art market was generally depressed, and Renoir along with it. He found personal joy when, in March 1885, Aline gave birth to a son, Pierre Renoir. Mother and son became the subjects of a series of paintings by the artist. His fellow Impressionist Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) made the following comments upon seeing them: "He showed me a complete series made with the same model and with the same type of rhythm. He is a first-rate draftsman; it would be interesting to show all these preparatory studies for a painting to the public, which generally imagines that the Impressionists work in a very informal manner." In 1886 and 1887, more international exhibitions took place, including one in New York. In December 1888, Renoir began to notice the first symptoms of a problem that would plague the rest of his life: rheumatoid arthritis. In search of inspiration and a milder climate, Renoir spent time with Cézanne in the south of France in 1889. The year 1890 was a good one: his works were selling again, and at higher prices than ever, and in April, he married Aline. The same year, he received the prestigious Legion of Honor award from the French government, but he declined it. Official recognition came in a better-received form in 1892 when the state purchased his "Girls at the Piano" (1888) for public display at the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. In September 1894, his second son, Jean, was born. Aline's cousin, Gabrielle Renard, moved in with the family to help, and she became a model for Renoir. In 1895, the artist rented a large house in Essoyes, which he would later buy, although he also retained an apartment in Paris. He continued to move around France, typically in search of warmer weather and thermal treatments to alleviate the increasingly severe symptoms of his arthritis. Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, became his favorite place. Death and Legacy By 1900, Renoir's paintings were exhibited throughout Europe and the United States, with prices more than double those of other Impressionists. The Legion of Honor was offered to him again, and this time he accepted. In 1901, his third child, Claude (Coco), was born. Renoir's health continued to deteriorate, and he spent long stays in Cagnes-sur-Mer, eventually buying a house there, Les Collettes, in 1907. It was nestled in a peaceful orchard of olive and orange trees. He painted more slowly than before due to his arthritis and dependence on a wheelchair, and he also began to sculpt. In 1912, he suffered a stroke, from which he recovered in the following months, to continue painting. Young artists, such as Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), visited him at Les Collettes to pay tribute and learn from one of the stars of the fading Impressionist movement. The Great War of 1914-1918 affected everyone; Pierre and Jean Renoir were drafted, and both were seriously wounded in the conflict's first year. Aline, after a stressful visit to Jean in the hospital, suffered a heart attack, which proved fatal. Working until the end on cheerful paintings that revealed nothing of his physical decline, Renoir caught a cold that worsened, developing into pneumonia. He died in Cagnes-sur-Mer on December 3, 1919. Some critics have pointed out that Renoir's works are rather idealized and sentimental, but these comments do not diminish his status as one of the most popular painters of all time. Renoir was persistent in his style and themes: "I think a painting has to be something delightful, cheerful, and pretty – yes, pretty! There are enough troubles in the world for us to spend our time creating more."
Issuer: rLzncbwKysPuA9FvrocUKBZUbQGiBBPNk3
Taxon: 2
- technique : oil on fabric
- culture : France, 19th century
- creation date : 1864
- artist: Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- px: 8441 x 10607
NFTokenID: 00081770DB35F371D4D6B9E351DA0CF20D4EBF5F49F78DB9E57B5041042C1EA8
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Properties
Description
This painting may be Renoir's earliest signed canvas. Its sensitive display of color and light communicates an ideal of delicate, youthful beauty. The luminous tones of the background drapery and of the child's white blouse result from the artist's careful observation of reflected light and color on translucent materials. The delicate nuances of color, particularly in the young girl's face, reveal Renoir's previous training as a decorator of porcelain. He painted this portrait, commissioned by the vacationing Lacaux family, during his stay at an artist's colony in the village of Barbizon, near Paris. "fun_fact": "The son of a poor tailor from Limoges, Renoir began his artistic career at age 13 as an apprentice to a porcelain painter." Artist Bio: Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was a French Impressionist painter. Capable of painting in many different styles, even within the same canvas, Renoir was truly prolific, creating over 6,000 works in his lengthy career. He had a preference for nudes and children, and though his themes changed over the years, he almost always presented a colorful and carefree view of the world. Youth Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, France, on February 25, 1841. His parents belonged to the lower middle class. His father, Léonard, was a tailor, and his mother, Marguerite, a seamstress, but the family's business was not doing well, forcing them to move to Paris in search of better opportunities, a goal that eluded them. Young Pierre-Auguste showed talent for both singing and drawing. His first real artistic endeavors took place when he worked, as a 13-year-old apprentice, at a local ceramic factory, painting designs on Chinese porcelain. After work, he attended free art classes, where he learned to use oil paints. His daily work succumbed to technological advancements, so he had to switch to painting murals in cafes and other commissions he could find. Starting from 1860, he supplemented his income, while increasing his artistic knowledge, by copying works at the Louvre Museum. Art historian Véronique Bouruet-Aubertot describes Renoir's character as follows: "Renoir was sociable, calm, and adaptable, a person who felt comfortable both in bourgeois salons and in popular meeting places." RENOIR STRUGGLED TO GET MONEY EVEN TO BUY THE PAINTS AND CANVASES TO CONTINUE HIS CAREER. Later on, Renoir formally studied painting with Swiss artist Charles Gleyre, where he had the rare opportunity to work with live models. It was there that Renoir met other young students who, together, would revolutionize art. Among them were Alfred Sisley (1839-1899), Claude Monet (1840-1926), and Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870). Through Monet, they also got to know Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and Paul Cézanne (1839-1906). These young artists would form the core of the Impressionist movement. Impressionism Impressionism involved the attempt to capture the temporary effects of light and color in painting, using quick and intense brushstrokes, working outdoors (en plein air). It featured a palette with much more color than previously used and focused primarily on nature and everyday life, rather than mythological and religious scenes. This approach went against the ultraconservative dominant trend, making it very difficult for the young artists to exhibit their paintings in the only place where they could gain fame and lucrative commissions: the Salon de Paris. Since 1862, Renoir had been studying at the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts in Paris, where he excelled. He also joined Monet and others on painting excursions to the Fontainebleau forest on the outskirts of Paris. Renoir then secured several portrait and still-life commissions from Jules Le Coeur (1832-1882). In 1864, Renoir's painting "La esmeralda" was accepted by the Salon de Paris. Disenchanted by the lack of response from critics and the public, Renoir later destroyed the painting. In 1865, Renoir shared a studio with the generous Bazille, who covered most of the bills. That year, the Salon accepted one of his landscapes and a portrait, perhaps because these works were much more traditional than his other paintings. Still, making a living with his art proved challenging. Unable to support himself and lacking wealthy connections, Renoir was forced to rely on friends, but he persevered nonetheless. In the summer of 1865, he painted with Sisley in Le Havre. Lise Tréhot was 17 when she first met Renoir in late 1865, becoming his lover and the subject of more than 20 of his paintings. A portrait of her was accepted by the Salon in 1867 (several more would be accepted in subsequent Salon exhibitions). For the first time, Renoir was gaining recognition because the portrait was much more in the style of the works he regularly produced, with the intense brushstrokes that were the hallmark of the Impressionists. Still, he had to struggle to get money, even to buy the paints and canvases with which to continue his career. In 1869, Renoir and Monet worked together at La Grenouillère, a fashionable resort on the Seine, and began developing their new pictorial style, emphasizing the fleeting effects of light. Suddenly, this artistic revolution came to a halt in 1870 with the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. Renoir was conscripted into the army and fortunately sent away from the front lines to a cavalry regiment in Bordeaux, although he contracted dysentery. The other Impressionists scattered or were conscripted; Bazille died during that brief conflict, profoundly affecting Renoir and his fellow Impressionists. Upon returning to Paris in peacetime, several new commissions allowed Renoir to rent his own studio. The prominent art dealer and friend of the Impressionists, Paul Durand-Ruel (1831-1922), bought two of Renoir's paintings for his gallery, and a small number of collectors began showing interest in Renoir's work. In 1872, Lise left him to marry an architect. Meanwhile, Renoir painted, alongside Monet, in Argenteuil, a fashionable weekend resort for wealthy Parisians. Both would return the following summer to paint more effects of light on the water. Two rejections by the Salon in 1873 made Renoir, along with other Impressionists, realize that the way forward was to organize an independent exhibition space exclusively for avant-garde artists. Renoir presented six works at the first Impressionist exhibition held in Paris in 1874. He sold two, but the reception was disappointing, and many critics were ruthless in their analyses of an artistic style they did not want to understand. The Impressionists organized an auction in 1875, but it was a failure, much like the previous year's exhibition, leaving Renoir's financial situation as precarious as ever. In the same year, he hired a new regular model, Margot Legrand (ca. 1856-1879), who would become his lover until her death from smallpox in 1879. In 1876, Renoir painted one of his most famous works, "Dance at the Moulin de la Galette," depicting fashionable young Parisians dancing in Montmartre. Portraitist After the failure of two more Impressionist exhibitions, which could have provided material support to the artist but only brought more criticism, Renoir decided, starting in 1878, to paint more easily marketable subjects, especially portraits. Without abandoning his Impressionist style, he now added more structure and form that, along with his brilliant palette, appealed more to buyers. In 1878, one of his canvases was accepted at the Salon, and two more in 1879 (as well as two pastel paintings), leading to an increase in portrait commissions. A wealthy patron who regularly commissioned paintings was the diplomat Paul Bérard. The two became great friends, and Renoir often stayed with him at his Normandy castle. Dealer Durand-Ruel also increased his investment in Renoir's works, allowing him to visit North Africa in 1881. In Algeria, impressed by the light and colors, Renoir painted people and places. Back in Chatou, west of Paris, Renoir painted one of his most famous works, "Luncheon of the Boating Party," depicting a relaxed group at one of the artist's favorite spots, the Fournaise restaurant. By late 1881, Renoir was on the move again, this time on a tour of Italy to see treasures of Renaissance art. The artist traveled with his new model and lover, Aline Charigot, and continued painting, even capturing the famous composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883) in Sicily, in a rare portrait. His focus on portraits is explained by Renoir's remark: "The trouble with Italy is that it's too beautiful. Why bother to paint, when it's so delightful to look around?" (Roe, 227). Renoir's Style Back in France, Renoir worked with Cézanne in L'Estaque. With a new palette inspired by his experiences in Algeria and Italy, and a greater emphasis on composition, under Cézanne's guidance, Renoir moved away from Impressionism to create his own unique style. The process was not easy, and it took the artist years to perfect it. Renoir's mature style combined soft contours and colors with much finer, delicate brushstrokes. Often, the colors had a translucent quality, like designs on porcelain. He also shifted towards a more methodical construction of his paintings, with several sketches and preparatory studies leading up to the final canvas painting in his studio, though this preparation never compromised his iconic sense of spontaneity. He had a preference for nudes in nature (often referred to as "bathers"), and on one occasion, he said, "I never thought I had finished a nude until I could pinch it". He also created many portraits, scenes of nature with children, and still lifes, which he particularly enjoyed, stating, "I rest my brain when I paint flowers" . A severe bout of pneumonia and a period of convalescence in 1882, along with his previous foreign absences, resulted in Renoir being somewhat out of the critical and public eye. This led to a decline in commissions and a return to economic precarity. At least, his international reputation was already solidified thanks to exhibitions in London, Berlin, and Boston in 1883. Other trips abroad included stays in Guernsey, Marseille, and Genoa, but back in Paris, the art market was generally depressed, and Renoir along with it. He found personal joy when, in March 1885, Aline gave birth to a son, Pierre Renoir. Mother and son became the subjects of a series of paintings by the artist. His fellow Impressionist Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) made the following comments upon seeing them: "He showed me a complete series made with the same model and with the same type of rhythm. He is a first-rate draftsman; it would be interesting to show all these preparatory studies for a painting to the public, which generally imagines that the Impressionists work in a very informal manner." In 1886 and 1887, more international exhibitions took place, including one in New York. In December 1888, Renoir began to notice the first symptoms of a problem that would plague the rest of his life: rheumatoid arthritis. In search of inspiration and a milder climate, Renoir spent time with Cézanne in the south of France in 1889. The year 1890 was a good one: his works were selling again, and at higher prices than ever, and in April, he married Aline. The same year, he received the prestigious Legion of Honor award from the French government, but he declined it. Official recognition came in a better-received form in 1892 when the state purchased his "Girls at the Piano" (1888) for public display at the Luxembourg Museum in Paris. In September 1894, his second son, Jean, was born. Aline's cousin, Gabrielle Renard, moved in with the family to help, and she became a model for Renoir. In 1895, the artist rented a large house in Essoyes, which he would later buy, although he also retained an apartment in Paris. He continued to move around France, typically in search of warmer weather and thermal treatments to alleviate the increasingly severe symptoms of his arthritis. Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, became his favorite place. Death and Legacy By 1900, Renoir's paintings were exhibited throughout Europe and the United States, with prices more than double those of other Impressionists. The Legion of Honor was offered to him again, and this time he accepted. In 1901, his third child, Claude (Coco), was born. Renoir's health continued to deteriorate, and he spent long stays in Cagnes-sur-Mer, eventually buying a house there, Les Collettes, in 1907. It was nestled in a peaceful orchard of olive and orange trees. He painted more slowly than before due to his arthritis and dependence on a wheelchair, and he also began to sculpt. In 1912, he suffered a stroke, from which he recovered in the following months, to continue painting. Young artists, such as Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), visited him at Les Collettes to pay tribute and learn from one of the stars of the fading Impressionist movement. The Great War of 1914-1918 affected everyone; Pierre and Jean Renoir were drafted, and both were seriously wounded in the conflict's first year. Aline, after a stressful visit to Jean in the hospital, suffered a heart attack, which proved fatal. Working until the end on cheerful paintings that revealed nothing of his physical decline, Renoir caught a cold that worsened, developing into pneumonia. He died in Cagnes-sur-Mer on December 3, 1919. Some critics have pointed out that Renoir's works are rather idealized and sentimental, but these comments do not diminish his status as one of the most popular painters of all time. Renoir was persistent in his style and themes: "I think a painting has to be something delightful, cheerful, and pretty – yes, pretty! There are enough troubles in the world for us to spend our time creating more."
"Romaine Lacaux", Pierre-Auguste Renoir
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