Renoir: Father and Son / Painting and Cinema

Book excerpt: Beloved Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir left a vibrant legacy that influenced the life and films of his son, the acclaimed director Jean Renoir. The Impressionist paintings of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841‒1919) are characterized by portraits and lively episodes from daily life, portrayed in rich color with masterful framing and vibrant light. These joyful scenes, often set outdoors, accompanied and influenced the life and work of his son, filmmaker Jean Renoir (1894‒1979), who Orson Welles described as "the greatest of all directors." This catalogue--along with the traveling exhibition it accompanies--demonstrates the rich and fascinating dialogue between father and son, and retraces chapters of Jean's production through the lens of his father's work. And while Pierre-Auguste Renoir's artistic practice and creative universe influenced Jean's art, Jean's films shed new light on his father's paintings. Focusing on core themes in both artists' works, such as their vision and recreation of Paris, this volume examines Jean's path to becoming a prominent international filmmaker, bringing together paintings, drawings, films, costumes, and photos--as well as the ceramics he made before he turned to cinema. Contributions from the Barnes Foundation--with its collection of 181 works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir along with pottery by Jean Renoir--the Musée d'Orsay, and the Cinémathèque Française provide in-depth insight into this complex, fruitful relationship between painting and cinema. The exhibition opens at the Barnes from May 6‒September 3, 2018 and travels to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris from November 5, 2018‒January 27, 2019.