Renoir 2/2

Renoir's painting is probably the most carefree and lightheaded one among the impressionists: his scenes are happy, funny, sometimes sensual, the artist is fascinated by feminine beauty, and there are no other purposes in his works except personal pleasure.  Even his teacher used to yell at him, complaining that he was representing too frivolous scenes..

Renoir was a close friend of Monet. They used to paint together natural sights en plain air as the impressionism stabilished, leaving us some pictures of the same sight at the same hour from 2 slightly different points of view (see "La grenouillere").

During the decline of the impressionism, feeling the weight of the critics, Renoir moved towards a more classical painting inspired by Raffaello: "The Large Bathers" drew on the classical late-renaissance theme of the nude women in the landscape, near a water source. That subject was allowed as the represented women were always goddesses and nymphs.

Selected Works

- Stoccolma, Nationalmuseum

- Museum of Art, Philadelphia

A few words about the music

19th century French painting with 19th century French music... What else may be more appropriate?

This Pavane (the name comes from a slow processional Spanish court dance) ebbs and flows from a series of harmonic and melodic climaxes, conjuring a cool, somewhat haunting, Belle Époque elegance.

From the outset, the Pavane has enjoyed immense popularity. It entered the standard repertoire of the Ballets Russes in 1917, where it was alternatively billed as Las Mininas or Les Jardins d'Aranjuez. Fauré's example was imitated by his pupils, who went on to write pavanes of their own, like Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte and Debussy's Passepied from his Suite bergamasque.

It was written for a small orchestra (strings and one pair of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns) and optional chorus.