Question

Discuss Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s evolving Impressionist style in The Bathers, and explain why he changed his style.

Answer 1

Answer:

Of all the Impressionist artists, Renoir in particular changed his style in the 1880s. He came to believe that his work was too focused on the present time, meaning Paris in the 1880s. He worried that future viewers would not be interested in his art because it would become irrelevant. He therefore began painting subjects that were more "timeless," as opposed to scenes that were clearly set in present-day Paris. In contrast to his earlier works, like Le Moulin de la Galette, or other Impressionist works, like Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, Renoir's later works do not feature subjects that are so obviously late-19th century Parisians.

Explanation:

The Bathers is an excellent example of this shift in Renoir's works. The women are more classical in appearance. While they could be 19th century Parisian women on the banks of the Seine (the river that runs through Paris), since they are undressed they are difficult to place definitively in time. The painting has other features that are also indicative of a change in Renoir's style. The figures are rendered with much more detail; in contrast to Le Moulin de la Galette, it is clear that Renoir focused more on carefully painting the figures in The Bathers, rather than painting quickly as in the earlier work. Still, the background retains the Impressionist style of quick, rough brushstrokes, and the bright colors are also typical of Impressionist art. Although The Bathers shows a move away from the original tenets of Impressionism, it retains enough of the style to still be considered an Impressionist work.