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Lot Essay
The present work is being offered by the non-profit organization American Friends of the Israel Museum (AFIM). First created in 1972, AFIM has since supported The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, through the raising of both funds—to support exhibitions, education programs, curator training, etc.—and awareness of the Museum. The proceeds from the sale of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Maison dans un paysage will benefit The Israel Museum, Jerusalem’s modern art acquisition fund.
Following his trip to Italy in 1881, Pierre-Auguste Renoir became preoccupied with the classical traditions of the paysage composé. He was keen to portray an Arcadian vision of the French landscape, which was natural and unchanging, choosing to depict unspoiled views, free from any signs of industry or modern life. Painted in 1892, Maison dans un paysage is a wonderful example of Renoir’s landscape paintings from this period, beautifully illustrating the artist’s romantic visions of the French countryside.
The 1890s were prosperous years for Renoir—bolstered by the support of his dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, who had primary gallery spaces in both Paris and New York, Renoir began receiving international fame. In 1895, he bought a home for the first time in Essoyes, a lovely village bordering Champagne and Burgundy where Aline Charigot—his longtime partner who he had finally married in 1890—was raised. Although he continued to rent an apartment in Paris, he spent as much time as possible in the countryside to paint.
In the present work, Renoir uses a myriad of strokes of color and deft brushwork to capture the brilliance of the sunlight as it delicately animates the faintly windswept bushes and trees of his bucolic landscape. The peachy strokes of red, pink and orange, heightened in places with a bright buttery yellow, stand out against a ground of cooling summer greens and a bright blue sky, nuanced with white impasto. In the background at lower center, a pitched roof and white facade emerge from the luscious scenery, inviting viewers to picture themselves nestled in Renoir’s earthly paradise. The artist’s dynamic brushwork and distinct treatment of light and color result in an atmospheric, lively and liberated scene, highlighting the timeless, picturesque beauty of rural France.
Following his trip to Italy in 1881, Pierre-Auguste Renoir became preoccupied with the classical traditions of the paysage composé. He was keen to portray an Arcadian vision of the French landscape, which was natural and unchanging, choosing to depict unspoiled views, free from any signs of industry or modern life. Painted in 1892, Maison dans un paysage is a wonderful example of Renoir’s landscape paintings from this period, beautifully illustrating the artist’s romantic visions of the French countryside.
The 1890s were prosperous years for Renoir—bolstered by the support of his dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, who had primary gallery spaces in both Paris and New York, Renoir began receiving international fame. In 1895, he bought a home for the first time in Essoyes, a lovely village bordering Champagne and Burgundy where Aline Charigot—his longtime partner who he had finally married in 1890—was raised. Although he continued to rent an apartment in Paris, he spent as much time as possible in the countryside to paint.
In the present work, Renoir uses a myriad of strokes of color and deft brushwork to capture the brilliance of the sunlight as it delicately animates the faintly windswept bushes and trees of his bucolic landscape. The peachy strokes of red, pink and orange, heightened in places with a bright buttery yellow, stand out against a ground of cooling summer greens and a bright blue sky, nuanced with white impasto. In the background at lower center, a pitched roof and white facade emerge from the luscious scenery, inviting viewers to picture themselves nestled in Renoir’s earthly paradise. The artist’s dynamic brushwork and distinct treatment of light and color result in an atmospheric, lively and liberated scene, highlighting the timeless, picturesque beauty of rural France.