“Spring at Chatou”
It appears that I have spring on the brain…
“Spring at Chatou” is an oil on canvas painting by the French Impressionism artist, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, from circa 1873. Renoir painted this piece early in his career, about a year before the very first impressionism exhibition.
Like his fellow impressionist artists, Renoir’s work was repeatedly rejected from the Paris Salon, as it was seen as too unconventional in style. This forced him and his fellow artist friends to launch the very first impressionist art exhibition in 1874. Renoir had several pieces at this very first show, which launched his career and gave him the world recognition he was seeking.
In this painting, Renoir paints a grassy meadow in the spring, when the flowers are starting to bloom. Sunlight dapples across the field, casting shadows below the young trees in the field. Lush, full-grown trees stand at the edge of the field, separating the river from the meadow. Through the trees, the viewer can just glimpse the blue waters of the River Seine. There is a man standing in the field. His back is to the viewer, as he walks to the lake. He carries an arm full of flowers in his right arm. You can glimpse some details of style, such as his straw hat, cocked to the right, and gray vest.
Chatou is a town located just nine miles northwest of Paris. It was a common place for the city dwellers to day trip to, to get away from the city. It was a popular boating spot where people would go to socialize. It was very popular with the artists, and Renoir, in addition to others, would travel to Chatou to paint the countryside as their friends played alongside the river.
Though Renoir’s favorite subject was the nude body of a woman, the landscapes that he painted early in his career allowed him to explore his style and methods in a more unconstrained way than his portraits did. Perhaps it was because he did not fear a failed commission or offending a portrait sitter. Regardless, his experiments in brush work and colors found early in his landscape pieces found their way into his portraits and helped develop the artist we know and love today.
“Spring at Chatou” is in a private collection but is currently on loan to The Courtauld Gallery in London, England.
For more on Pierre-Auguste Renoir, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
