Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Young Girls at a Piano
(1892): The painting is as uncomplicated as its title—it shows
two girls playing the piano. It's one of six slightly different versions Renoir made of the
same subject. This one is done in oil, but the artist's light touch gives it the soft blush of
watercolor or pastel. It looks unfinished, but it must have been the “look” Renoir was aim-
ing for, because he signed it.
In the Garden
(1885): Renoir's sentimental streak is on display here, too. Renoir be-
came the chronicler of France's blissful era of peace and prosperity, known as the Belle
Époque (from the late 19th century until World War I). The leafy garden is captured as a
straightforward Impressionist mosaic of colorful brushstrokes. Then Renoir adds a happy
couple in love. The woman appears to have the features of Renoir's future wife. The
man—a stand-in for Renoir—gazes ardently at the woman's creamy face, limpid eyes, and
plump rosy lips. Their arms intertwine like vines in the garden.
• Now head into room 320, with paintings by
Degas
(his
Place de la Concorde
is a classic
example of an Impressionistic everyday street scene) and
Manet.
Then continue into room
319, dominated by
Monet.
Next up, room 318 features lots of
Cézanne
(including
Lady in
Blue
). And
r
oom 317 is packed with works by...
Vincent van Gogh
A self-taught phenom who absorbed the Impressionist technique before developing his
own unique style, Vincent van Gogh struck out on his own in Arles, in the south of France,
