Renoirs Portraits: Impressions of an Age

Yale University Press, July 1998. Oversize Softcover . Good. Of all the Impressionists, only Pierre-Auguste Renoir earned distinction as a professional portrait painter. For more than fifty years Renoir explored the genre of portraiture, experimenting and pressing forward in his determination to become -- as he explained to Monet in January 1884 - 'a painter of figures.' This sumptuously illustrated book is the first devoted exclusively to Renoir's portraiture, bringing together the finest examplesof the portraits he painted during each period of his prolific career. In these delightful paintings Renoir created uniquely endearing and enduring images of pleasure, comfort, and prosperity. Of all the Impressionist artists, only Pierre Auguste Renoir earned distinction as a professional portrait painter. This sumptuously illustrated book is the first devoted exclusively to Renoir's portraiture, gathering examples of the portraits he painted during each period of his prolific career. 370 illustrations, including 80 color plates.