Most Popular Renoir Paintings in 2023
Renoir’s Legacy: Imagining Everyday Happiness in 2023
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was not just another painter who observed and depicted important events of his age. The most popular Renoir paintings are a glorification of everyday life. They remind us that all stories can be great. That happiness can be a choice.
In this article, we will explore this revolutionary idea through Renoir’s life and his most popular paintings. Most interestingly, we will try to understand what the paintings can teach us about modernity and what the great artist would paint today if he were still alive.
So let’s get started.
Renoir: an optimist by choice
Although Renoir is famous for the optimistic outlook of his art, his life has not always been simple.
He was born on February 25, 1841, in Limoges, France, the sixth of seven children in a working-class family. Due to financial difficulties, he left school at thirteen and started work in a porcelain factory.
As his reputation grew, so did his success, allowing him to focus more fully on his art. His paintings became famous for their optimistic view of life. An approach that remained even when he suffered from rheumatism, which made it difficult to hold a brush and caused him intense pain. Instead of quitting, he developed a new technique to create his later works. In his words: “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.”
Renoir was an optimist by choice. Let’s have a look at the beauty he created.
The originals: the most popular Renoir paintings
Renoir found inspiration in everyday life, showing that we can find happiness in modest moments of leisure and social interaction that virtually everyone can live.
Here are some of his most popular original paintings with a brief commentary:
1. Luncheon of the Boating Party
A group of friends is enjoying lunch on the balcony of a restaurant in Paris. Nobody is looking at the river Seine or at the Parisian landscape. This is a moment of social interaction! Nobody is worried for now. Progress in Europe has brought wealth to their table, free time, and the right to enjoy. These were not always for granted.
2. Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette
People from all over Europe are dancing and socializing in a popular dance hall in Montmartre, Paris. The social customs in France have changed, and people are freer than ever to express themselves. A great reason to party.
3. The bathers
A group of women bathing in a river, surrounded by trees and a hazy atmosphere. A celebration of freedom and the human connection to nature. The women are enjoying the moment in nature, without the destruction of material goods and the noise of civilisation.
4. Two Sisters (On the Terrace)
Two sisters are sitting on a terrace overlooking a river. They are peaceful and contemplative. They can get lost in their thoughts without falling into sadness or losing hope. They are together, and this is what matters.
5. The Umbrellas
A crowded street scene in Paris, with people walking in the rain and holding umbrellas. The painting shows the emergence of the modern megalopolis. The hustle and bustle of city life and the beauty of its everyday moments.
The most popular Renoir paintings in 2023
But what if Renoir was alive today? Which everyday moments would he choose to depict? We know that he often traveled for inspiration, but what would his modern-day travels teach him?
With research, analysis, and the help of AI, we tried to recreate his five famous paintings to comment life in 2023.
This is what Artelot proposes.
- Boating Party on the Huangpu river
A group of friends is enjoying lunch, this time not in Paris but in Shanghai. Over the past 40 years, the Chinese economic miracle has lifted 800 million people from extreme poverty. Everyday life in China has changed forever. There is much optimism to paint and many reasons to celebrate.
2. Dance at a New York rooftop
People from all over the world dance in New York, one of the most multicultural cities in the world. They are not just free from society. They define what society will become. One dance at a time.
3. The influencers
Not even Renoir would see everything with an optimistic eye. Instead of the women bathing in France, we imagine that in 2023 he would depict a modern phenomenon. Two influencers on a tropical island that might soon sink due to climate change. They are not there to bath or to enjoy nature, but to post photos on social media.
The happy colours of the paintings show that they are happy nevertheless. And this is the worst thing.
4. Two Sisters (And a war)
Two sisters are sitting on a terrace overlooking the Dnipro river in Kyiv. Even in the middle of a war, they are peaceful. Just like in the original painting, they can get lost in their thoughts without losing hope. They have one the other, and this is what matters.
5. The Umbrellas of Nairobi
A crowded street scene with people holding umbrellas, this time not in Paris but in Nairobi. Kenya is growing, and its capital is projected to become a megacity by 2050. One of the most interesting and upcoming urban centers in the world which is destined to influence global culture.
Call to action
Renoir has lived an interesting life and created great works of art that remind us to treasure and appreciate the joys of everyday life.
Would you like more inspiration like this?
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