PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR AND HIS SON JEAN

This is one of my all-time favorite RENOIR paintings, on loan to THE BARNES MUSEUM from THE MUSEE D'ORSAY in Paris.

PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR is a famous and well-loved IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER and our PHILADELPHIA BARNES MUSEUM has the single largest collection in the world!!

The BARNES has put together a VERY special and interesting EXHIBITION called "RENOIR: FATHER AND SON / PAINTING AND CINEMA", which will run until SEPTEMBER 3rd.

The paintings in this exhibit are on loan from THE LOUVRE, THE MUSEE D'ORSAY and L'ORANGERIE in PARIS because per BARNES'S will, paintings in the museum are not permitted to be moved from their particular spot on the walls. 

PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR and his wife, ALINE (20 yrs his junior - painting of her above) had 3 sons - PIERRE (actor), JEAN (filmmaker) and CLAUDE (ceramic artist).  PIERRE was born 5 years before they were married. 

Some of #3 son, CLAUDE'S POTTERY and a painting of him at work, as a young adult, are included in this exhibit.

RENOIR mostly enjoyed painting his middle son, red-headed JEAN as a young boy. He insisted that JEAN'S hair be left LONG, because of the way light reflected on it, which he LOVED to paint. 

Until this exhibit, I had always thought that this child in RENOIR'S paintings was a little girl.......

RENOIR also enjoyed painting dark-haired GABRIELLE, the children's NANNY, mostly with his red-headed son JEAN.

RENOIR is well-known for his paintings of ROBUST WOMEN. The play of light on the skin and the shadows of its folds fascinated and challenged him.

The IMPRESSIONIST artist, HENRI MATISSE sent a 17-year-old, red-haired girl, ANDREE HEUSCHLING to RENOIR to model for him. She became one of his favorite models. (Later on, when she was in film, she changed her name to "CATHERINE HESSLING").  

Notice that the HEADS are quite small in the painting below - totally out of proportion to their bodies. This is another trait of some of RENOIR'S work.

The Docent told us that he painted his models MORE ROBUST than might have been accurate. Remember, he was an IMPRESSIONIST painter, so it's merely his "IMPRESSION" and "anything goes".

In real life, his model, ANDREE wasn't ROBUST at all.......

To see her "ROBUST" BODY in RENOIR'S paintings, then to see her SLIM BODY in the films of JEAN, sent my mind on a different path of "wonder". 

That RENOIR'S son JEAN married ANDREE was a bit alarming to me at first, but JEAN was around her in his father's studio daily and simply fell in love with her. JEAN married ANDREE in 1920, a year after his father's death.

RENOIR'S painting of his son, JEAN later hung in JEAN'S home.  Notice the DETAIL of RENOIR'S brush strokes in my close-up.

What I most liked about this EXHIBITION is that it TOOK ME SURPRISE. To see the comparison of AUGUSTE RENOIR and his son JEAN'S parallel talents is fascinating. 

The Exhibit runs until SEPTEMBER 3rd, so you have plenty of time to buy your tickets and see it in person.  

JOAN