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Pierre-Auguste Renoir ‘Figures on the Beach’ (1890)

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Pierre-Auguste Renoir ‘Figures on the Beach’ (1890)

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Two women are elegantly dressed, and they occupy the foreground of this sun-filled scene. The one on the left is seated and turned toward the standing lady, her side profile can be seen, she holds a parasol besides her. The other women are stood with her back to the viewer as she looks down at her companion, her left arm by her side as the other clutches a wicker basket. A small, white spaniel dog stretches out alongside the seated woman, but turns, like the standing figure, as if attracted by something outside the scene on the left. The only other figure on this narrow stretch of shore is a boy in the middle ground , who stands near water edge.

The composition is uncomplicated made up by 3 equal rectangles- beach, water, and sky- linked by the standing women.  The same discipline is apparent in Renoir’s colour choices and in the limitation of his palette to evenly saturated hues, which effectively capture the consistent light of the summer’s day.

Modern and historical, it has links to history and is intended to delight the eye while not losing sight of its inherent ties to the visible world.

Renoir emphasis the contradictory nature of the painting. It relies on life as much as on past art.

Renoir preferred the mundane and accessible to the sophisticate and pretentious, he believed the art must embrace the simple life ad celebrate tradition. Against progression and machines, which he felt demined the human beings and overran nature.

This piece is progressive for women as in the painting these women are not being doted on by men, they are liberated individuals. And there not placed in subservient positions engaged in menial tasks.

The pose of the women standing is derived from contemporary fashion plates. Her statuesque form likewise evokes classical prototypes. The origin of the sitting women is less varied but no less difficult.

The women are presented as completely comfortable with themselves. For them, worldly affairs are distant or non-existent and life is as straightforward as the clear divisions of the composition and as refreshing as the beautiful day that Renoir has captured.

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Early life and influences:

• German artist born in Dresden ( city victim of heavy bombing in WW2)

• Started painting lessons in a night school, later accepted to Dresden academy of art

• Moved to west Germany with his wife during the Cold War

• Worked with artists such as Sigmar polke and Lueg

• He didnt like to work alone

• Loved movements like romanticism, German expressionism, informalism

• Inspired by romantic painters like Caspar David friedrich and Gustavia le gray

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“Its boring to stick to one thing”

Richer believed That it was good to work with a range of

different styles. He wanted to emphasise realness and the idea of romanticism and the sublime heavy influenced his works.Many of his paintings are based on his collection of mundane photographs

There is an evolving relationship between art and photography

Wanted to stray away from idealistic

He used his own snap shots and relies on the imperfections of nature

Blurred his Motifs , diluted pigment to mimic photographic surfaces

Non traditional approach often straying away form is influences and adding more real and contemporary pieces to his work

Element of sublime shown though the vastness and emptiness

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Techniques and materials:

• his technique for creating a composition was merging two photographs, one of the sky, one of the sea and painting it

• used projectors to replicate his photos  perfectly when painting

• hue oil paint with a dilute pigment (light) to create a ghostly transparency and photographic texture

• used a squeegee to get the flat smooth blurred effect (typically used for window cleaning

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• skys are quite ominous

• Clear horizontal distinction between sea and sky

• divide between sea and sky creates disharmony and contrasts the aesthetic nature of the painting

• Regimented approach to landscape, strong axis and horizon lines

• colour palate is bright, yet the painting has a deliberate slight blur similar to a photographic quality

• Photographic quality creates a sense of being frozen in time and realisim

• Has a sense of nostalgia

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Poltical/social context:

• defeat from Second World War

• Threat of nuclear disaster in Cold War

• East Germany had poor quality of life and a depressed economy

• Separated from loved ones in west Germany, cut off from society

• there has been innovations in space travel Apollo 8 orbited the moon

• Culture thriving again in west Germany (he moved there) there was new music, fashion and art

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Meaning/reception:

• contrast between representation and abstraction as he saw in his life

• Sea represents a constant natural force but is inhertently inconsistent

• Sea may present the troubles of his subconscious

• The sea is ominous as is the future

• People received his art as boring, or difficult and he failed to be important in the post modern age

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Quotes:

‘ nothing comes in isolation’ richter (1964)

‘ i find a real desire for this period’ richter in discussion of romanticism (1999)

‘ those paintings are the real reason i left the gdr’ richter discussing German expressionism (1986)

‘ richters varied output can become frustratingly tedious’ - William davie