Renoir Drawings

Tickets available at tinyurl.com/3e5vj766 While the paintings of Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) have become icons of Impressionism, his drawings, watercolors, and pastels are far less widely known. In fact, drawing remains central to his artistic practice even as his interests and ambitions change over the course of a long career. This exhibition explores the ways in which Renoir used paper to test ideas, plan compositions, and interpret both landscape and the human figure. Thematic sections cover the full span of the artist's career, ranging from academic studies he made as a student, to on-the-spot impressions of contemporary urban and rural life, to finished, formal portraits, to intimate sketches of friends and family completed late in life. In-depth case studies of favored themes and preparatory work for landmark canvases further illuminate Renoir's practice of drawing. Inspired by the major gift to the Morgan of a large-scale preparatory sketch for one of Renoir's most significant paintings, _The Great Bathers,_ this exhibition is the first in a century to explore the artist's works on paper in depth. Organized by the Morgan Library & Museum and the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, _Renoir Drawings_ brings together nearly one hundred drawings, pastels, watercolors, prints, and a small selection of paintings, enabling visitors to engage with Renoir's creative process while offering insights into his artistic methods over five decades. Organized by Colin B. Bailey, Katharine J. Rayner Director, and Sarah Lees, Research Associate. Renoir Drawings is organized by the Morgan Library & Museum and the Musée d'Orsay. The exhibition is made possible by lead funding from the Jerome L. Greene Foundation. Generous support is provided by Denise Littlefield Sobel; an anonymous donor, in memory of Melvin R. Seiden; Hubert and Mireille Goldschmidt; and the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Christian Humann Foundation; the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation; the Robert Lehman Foundation; the Wolfgang Ratjen Stiftung, Liechtenstein; the Lucy Ricciardi Family Exhibition Fund; Christie's; and Robert Dance. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. It is a program of the Morgan Drawing Institute.