Exhibition co-curator Christopher Riopelle says: ‘More than any of his contemporaries, Renoir was committed to chronicling love and friendship and their informal manifestations as keys to modern life. Whether on Parisian street corners or in sun-dappled woodlands, he understood that emotion could be as fleeting, as evanescent, as blinding, as his other great and transitory subject, sunlight itself.’
Such themes are explored from intimate and personal works to beguiling multi-figure compositions of urban and suburban sociability. Several full-length figure compositions such as The Umbrellas (1881, reworked 1885, the National Gallery) show how Renoir often develops the theme on a large scale. His 'Dance' compositions remain universally loved symbols of the French 'fin-de-siècle'.
Loans come from private collections and museums around the world. The first room of the exhibition explores the artist’s early years and includes 'Mother Antony’s Tavern', 1866 (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm). Treating a scene of everyday life with the solemnity of large-scale painting (a format traditionally reserved for mythological and religious themes), Renoir makes a powerful statement about modern art and its new subjects.
The second room focuses on Renoir’s gallant scenes of the 1870s. Considering himself as the heir of French 18th-century tradition, in the vein of Fragonard, Watteau and Boucher, Renoir updates the Rococo iconography of the 'fêtes galantes' (courtship parties). 'The Promenade', 1870 (The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles) and the 'Dance at the Moulin de la Galette', 1876 (Musée d’Orsay, Paris) are among the greatest examples of this genre.
Highlights of the third section, focusing on street and café scenes include 'La Place Clichy', 1880 (The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge) and 'Leaving the Conservatory', 1876–77 (The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia).
Room Four is dedicated to depictions of life in the outskirts of Paris and features 'Oarsmen at Chatou', 1879 (National Gallery of Art, Washington), 'Dance in the country', 1883 (Musée d’Orsay, Paris); 'Dance at Bougival', 1883 (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), 'The Luncheon', 1875 (The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia) and 'Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise (The Rowers’ Lunch)', 1875 (Art Institute of Chicago).
Room Five is devoted to scenes of family life. There, visitors are able to see 'Sketches of Heads (The Berard Children)', 1881 (Clark Art Institute, Williamstown) and 'Children’s Afternoon at Wargemont', 1884 (Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin). On display in this room is also an intimate painting of which Renoir was particularly fond, 'Motherhood', 1885 (Musée d’Orsay, Paris), capturing his future wife Aline Charigot nursing their first son Pierre.
The sixth room looks at Renoir’s depictions of intellectual intimacy and physical proximity. This section includes 'The Conversation', 1878 (Nationalmuseum, Stockholm) and 'At Renoir’s Home, rue St-Georges', 1876 (Norton Simon Museum, Norton Simon Art Foundation, Pasadena). A small focus on Renoir’s theatre box scenes, featuring 'A Box at the Theatre (At the Concert)', 1880 (Clark Art Institute, Williamstown) will also be presented.
From 1883 the artist moved away from Impressionist style with its fascination with the ephemeral play of light to more solid, sculptural compositions. At the same time, his favourite motifs shifted from scenes of modern Parisian life to classical, timeless themes. A highlight of the final room of the exhibition is 'The Great Bathers', 1884–7 (Philadelphia Museum of Art) which marks the end of Renoir’s Impressionist season and the beginning of a new phase in his career.
The exhibition was initiated by the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and is organised by the Musée d’Orsay, the National Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It is shown at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris (17 March – 19 July 2026); the National Gallery, London (3 October 2026 – 31 January 2027); and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (20 February – 13 June 2027.)
The curators are:
Paris
Paul Perrin, Chief Curator and Director of Conservation and Collections at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris; with the participation of Lucie Lachenal-Taballet, Archival Research Assistant at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
London
Christopher Riopelle, former Curator of Post-1800 Paintings at the National Gallery, London, and Chiara Di Stefano, Associate Curator of Post-1800 Paintings at the National Gallery, London.
Boston
Katie Hanson, William and Ann Elfers Curator of Paintings, Art of Europe, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; with the participation of Julia Welch, Arthur K. Solomon Assistant Curator of Paintings, Art of Europe, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Lead philanthropic sponsor
Supported by
The Thompson Family Charitable Trust
David and Molly Lowell Borthwick
