|
|
|
Joyous and Pretty
Renoir at the Theatre:
|
|
Renoir's La Loge (The Theatre Box), painted in 1874 is considered one of the masterpieces of all of the Impressionist works. The beautifully dressed, elegant woman watches us while the gentleman focuses on the action on stage, depicting a brief moment in time, the hallmark of Impressionism. This Renoir is found in the Courtault Gallery' s collection. |
|
The London Gallery celebrates it's 75th anniversary with an exhibition featuring this important French artwork: Renoir at the Theatre: Looking at ‘La Loge’. It unites Renoir's theatre paintings along with works by his contemporaries and with his some of his fellow impressionists: Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt.
|
|
The time frame is key, the works date from the 1870s, the early days of Impressionism. In 1874 the group held their first group exhibit which included Edgar Degas, the key organizer, Renoir, Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot at the studio of photographer Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon) |
Renoir's La Loge of 1874 was his principal contribution to the first Impressionist exhibit adding to it's historical importance. The work featured Edmond Renoir, the artist's brother and Nini Lopez. She was a model from Montmartre and was given the nickname, 'Fish-face'.
|
Studying with Charles Gleyre in Paris, in 1862 Renoir first met Alfred Sisley, Frédéric Bazille, and Claude Monet. He would receive some acclaim for his initial exhibitions with his friends and like-minded artists. |
|
Renoir's Impressionist works of this period captured a moment in real life, such as enjoying a night at the theater. These works are key, because in the following decade, Renoir would work on a much more disciplined technique to his portraits.
Mary Cassatt
|
|
Social lives of women were one of Mary Cassatt's favored subjects. Her friendship with Edgar Degas led to her inclusion in the Impressionist exhibitions. |
Prior to the first exhibition, in the Parisian Salon of 1872, Cassatt's entry had been criticized for it's bright colors and her portriats were found to be wanting because they were too accurate and not flattering to the subjects.
|
She found admiration for Degas's work, prior to their 1874 meeting. Cassatt felt his works, that she'd noticed in a dealer's window, reflected her own beliefs, writing in a letter to a friend of Degas's pastels, "It changed my life. I saw art then as I wanted to see it." |
|
Edgar Degas
Title: La Loge, 1880
Artist: Edgar Degas (French 1839-1917)
Medium: Pastel on Paper laid on Board
Dimensions: 66 x 53 cm
Private Collection: Courtesy of Christie’s, New York
Image Courtesy: The Courtauld Gallery, London
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas had a profound affect on the Impressionists though it wasn't a term he appreciated. Degas liked to be called a 'realist' painter. Theatre as subject was a natural choice for Degas who was known for his paintings and sculptures of ballet dancers.
Degas was one of the main organizers of all of the Impressionist shows and he exhibited his own work in all but one of these group exhibitions. Unlike his fellow impressionists Degas hated to paint en plein air and rarely created landscapes. He preferred human figures in an indoor setting as subject matter.
Title: Fashion plate from La Mode Illustrée, 1879
Artist: Anais Toudouze (French 1822-99)
Medium: Hand-Colored Engraving
Dimensions: 28.3 x 36.2 cm
Permanent Collection: The Courtauld Gallery, London
Image Courtesy: The Courtauld Gallery, London
Renoir's La Loge one of the most important works from the Impressionist movement is an integral part of the Courtauld's impressive collection. After the 1874 exhibition ended, the Renoir's art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel included the painting in subsequent exhibition, this one held in London, England. It adds to the importance of the work that it was among the first Impressionists works displayed outside of France. The work didn't sell until 1875 purchased for 425 franc by the art dealer ‘Père’ Martin.
Samuel Courtauld purchased La Loge in 1925 for £22,600, which was among the highest amount Courtauld ever spent on an acquisition. Courtauld was among the first collectors to court Impressionist and Post-Impressionists works acquiring pieces by Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, Édouard Manet and Paul Cézanne among others. The Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London was founded in 1932 and is a universally respected self-governing college devoted to the study of the history of art. It boasts it's own art collection in the Courtauld Gallery.
Renoir at the Theatre
Looking at 'La Loge'
The Courtauld Gallery:
through May 5, 2008