Pierre-Auguste Renoir, La danse à la campagne (The Dance in the Country)

French painter born in Limoges, died in Cagnes. He was the son of a tailor. In 1845 his family moved to Paris. Between 1856 and 1… [Read biography »]

Signed Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Soft-Ground Etching, La danse à la campagne (The Dance in the Country)

Renoir Etching signed, La danse à la campagne (The Dance in the Country)

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Renoir Etching signed, La danse à la campagne (The Dance in the Country) (thumbnail 1)

Renoir Etching signed, La danse à la campagne (The Dance in the Country) (thumbnail 2)

Description:
Artist:	Renoir, Pierre-Auguste (1841 - 1919)
Title:	La danse à la campagne (The Dance in the Country)
Reference:	Delteil 2; Stella 2; Lugt 2137a
Medium:	Soft-Ground Etching
Image Size:	8 3/4 in x 5 3/8 in (22.2 cm x 13.7 cm)
Sheet Size:	12 3/8 in x 9 5/8 (31.4 cm x 24.5 cm)
Framed Size:	31 3/4 in x 27 3/4 in (80.6 cm x 70.5 cm)
Signed:	A signature stamp by the artist appears in the lower right margin (see Lugt 2137a).
Edition:	This soft-ground etching, created in c.1890, is pulled from the only state of this print.
Condition:	A bold impression in excellent condition with full margins.
Price: Item# 2376	$SOLD Please visit the rest of our Renoir fine art collection
As one of his most famous works, this intimately detailed etching is a stunning example of Renoir's ability to translate his impressionist talents through an etched medium. This dancing couple not only evokes movement and action, but an inherent quality of life and happiness which can be felt through the expressions on their faces. This soft-ground etching, created in c.1890, is pulled from the only state of this print. Renoir had created a drawing of these same subjects which was made about 6 years prior, in 1883. This print features a strong plate mark and a nice, bold impression on cream-colored paper with deckle edges on all sides. Danse à la Campagne features 2 characters who Renoir often look to for inspiration: his brother, Edmond Renoir and his companion, Suzanne Valadon. Both appear to be caught up in their dance, so much so that one could almost hear the music emanating from the print. The folds of her gown follow her every move, gracefully etched by Renoir to the last detail. Renoir depicts his brother with a wistful and intent gaze, making us fall just as much in love with Suzanne as he. It is both romantic and energetic, making this piece one of Renoir's most treasured prints. Illustrated In: 1) Delteil, Loys with Alan Hyman, ed. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Etchings & Lithographs: Catalogue Raisonné, San Francisco, 1999. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 2 on pgs. 4-5. 2) Stella, Dr. Joseph G. The Graphic Work of Renoir, Catalogue Raisonné, London. Listed as cat. no. 2 and illustrated as plate no. 2. Also listed on the title page folio as Etchings, no. 2. 3) Lugt, Frits. Les Marques de Collections de Dessins & d'Estampes - Supplément, San Francisco, 1988. Signature stamp listed and illustrated as cat. no. 2137a on pg. 315. About The Framing: This work is set in a beautiful, Baroque gold moulding that gracefully complements this marvelous work. Its intricately carved detailing serves to accent Renoir's ornate composition, echoing the movement and fluidity of Valadon's skirt. Completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching, gold inner fillet, this work is set behind a Plexiglass cover; all materials used in framing are archival to ensure lasting quality.
Style:	Impressionist

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Biography of Pierre-Auguste Renoir

French painter born in Limoges, died in Cagnes. He was the son of a tailor. In 1845 his family moved to Paris. Between 1856 and 1859 he took an apprenticeship and then worked as a porcelain painter, also taking evening classes in drawing. Renoir then studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. He was a fellow student of Monet, Sisley and Bazille; he went on summer painting trips with them to Chailly and Fountainbleau. He studied the eighteenth century paintings in the Louvre and also met Corot, Millet and Diaz. In 1864 his work was first accepted at the Salon. During the 1870s he painted with Monet at Argenteuil and elsewhere, and came to know Cezanne, Degas, and Pissarro. In 1874 his work was included in the first Impressionist exhibition (and in three of the subsequent seven.) He had little public success but was patronized by Caillebotte, Chocquet and others. From the late 1870s on he enjoyed increased success at the Salons, especially with portraiture. Eventually, he became dissatisfied with Impressionism and felt renewed admiration for Ingres, Raphael and eighteenth-century art. During the 1880s he worked increasingly in the south of France. Renoir's early work as a porcelain painter reflects two constant characteristics of his art: an enormous natural facility and a dedication to eighteenth century standards of decoration and craftsmanship. Apart from the personality of his brushwork, the main distinction of his 1870s Impressionism was his preoccupation with the figure as subject matter and particularly with the gay vitality of Parisian life. Less rigorously introspective than Monet, he made his reputation at the Salons from the late 1970s with a series of fashionable portraits. Here his dexterity was combined with anecdotal charm. many of the sculptures he made at the end of his life are direct transpositions of painted motifs. These were largely made by an assistant (a pupil of Maillol), Renoir's own hands being almost crippled with arthritis. ¹

¹ Phaidon Dictionary of Twentieth Century Art.