Renoir, Pierre-Auguste (1841-1919)
Monet peignant dans son jardin à Argenteuil (Monet painting in his garden at Argenteuil)
1873
Oil on canvas, 46.7 x 59.7 cm
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
In the summer of 1873, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was staying with his friend Claude Monet in the village of Argenteuil, not far from Paris. Both artists frequently painted outdoors and were drawn to the wide array of colors found in local gardens. Abundant flowering bushes fill this painting with a symphony of color. Renoir captured their beautiful hues with quick, thin brushstrokes. He then used dabs of white and yellow to bring a sense of life and light to the flowers. With brush in hand and palette tucked under his arm, Monet stands ready to paint a similar scene on his own canvas. Under the easel is his box of portable paints and an umbrella. The picture documents the Impressionists’ innovative approach to landscape painting and testifies to the intimacy of the artists’ friendships. Renoir’s painting is one of the highlights of the Wadsworth Atheneum’s collection of Impressionist works, which was largely amassed during the tenure of Director Charles C. Cunningham. (WA)
See also:
• Argenteuil (France) | Monet, Claude (1840-1926)