Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1841-1919: A Dream of Harmony (Basic Art) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) is now universally acclaimed: museums pride themselves on his paintings, crowds flock to his retrospectives. His work shows art at its most light-hearted, sensual and luminous. Renoir never wanted anything ugly in his paintings, nor any dramatic action. "I like pictures which make me want to wander through them when it's a landscape," he said, "or pass my hand over breast or back if it's a woman." Renoir's entire oeuvre is dominated by the depiction of women. Again and again he painted "these faunesses with their pouting lips" (Mallarme) and invented a new image of feminity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; illustrated edition edition (May 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822863289
• ISBN-13: 978-3822863282
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,304 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Geniuses' full color reproductions. , July 23, 2004

By	Maximiliano F Yofre "Maxi" (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I'm in love with The Impressionists in general and with Auguste Renoir in particular.
His palette is full of light; soft pink, greens and blues are a joy to watch time and again. As most Impressionists Renoir paint wonderful every day scenes, mainly outside as his magnificent: "The Luncheon of the Boating Party" (1881), "The Swing" (1876) and "Le Moulin de la Galette" (1876), whose careful reproductions are shown here.
He was an artist that loved life and wanted to reflect it as he perceived: full of little moments of simple joy and relax.
He was also a masterful portrayer as you may see from his "On the Terrace" (1881) in the cover of this book or "Two Girls in Black" (1881).
Another subject that attracted his fancy was the dancing couple, which he depicts with tenderness and accuracy. It doesn't matter if the dancers are from the high class as in "City Dance" or commoners as in "Dance at Bougival" both from 1883.
At the end of his life his paintings evolve and produce for our delight: "Seated Bather" (1914) and "The Nymphs" (1918).
His life and works are described and commented by the author with keen penetration and endearment.
Reproductions are awesome and do justice to the Artist.
Do not miss this book!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy For Any Home!, December 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Renoir (Thunder Bay Artists) (Paperback)

WOW! What a collection in this book!

For any Renoir lover, student, artist, teacher or simply someone who wants to see a fantastic collection by one artist in one book.

Unsurpassed as a coffee-table conversation piece.

"A Dream of Harmony"!

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvilleux Renoir!, November 3, 2005

By	Hiram Gomez Pardo (Valencia, Venezuela) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Renoir (Basic Art) (Paperback)

Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) represented by far, one the lofty painters of the second half of the XIX Century. His enslaving talent allowed to make a true sweep through the most diverse tendencies. His visible influences received from Courbet, Van Gogh and Delacroix, did not leave on him, a perennial trace. The presence of Cézanne and Monet irrupted strongly in the necessity of rejecting the conservative patterns and raid in new stylistic proposals. He was not only a notable Realist artist but also crossed the Impressionist threshold, in an untiring process of self renovation and fervent conveyance.

"Nowadays there is a tendency to explain everything. But if I could explain painting, it would not an artwork. Must I tell you what qualities constitute to my judge, the true art? It must be indescribable and inimitable...The artwork must captive the watcher, bundle him, drag him. Through it, the artist communicates his passion; it is the current that emits and through includes the watcher in itself:" Renoir.

Admirable and compelling biography that it will catch you from the first page.