Natureza Morta com Maças e Tangerinas (Nature Morte aux Pommes et Mandarines) - Pierre Auguste Renoir

Natureza Morta com Maças e Tangerinas (Nature Morte aux Pommes et Mandarines) - Pierre Auguste Renoir
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OST - 23x49 - Circa 1907

Renoir’s still-lifes are some of the most sensually appealing compositions of Impressionist art. Rendered with the artist’s characteristic light touch of the brush and soft palette, his compositions encapsulate the aromatic beauty of each succulent piece of fruit. Renoir ingeniously drew upon his own creative talent to convey still-lifes with an extraordinary freshness and sensitivity, departing from the trompe l’oeil technique that had been used for still-lifes by artists for centuries. The present work is a brilliant example of Renoir’s deceptively simple still-lifes, revitalizing this age-old subject with an Impressionist flair.

The artist painted and sold many small still-life paintings during the later years of his life. At this stage in his career, Renoir could paint at leisure, no longer having to depend on client commissions or the expectations of his dealers. Nature Morte aux Pommes has a charmingly informal composition, imbuing a sense of invigorated freedom and spontaneity as the subject matter allows the experimentation of light and colour. Short, yet slightly feathery brushstrokes enhance the tactile nature of the pieces of fruit, animated by the vibrant colours and illuminating light which create dynamic shadows around the outline of the fruit arrangement. Renoir’s still-lifes inspired Paul Cézanne’s investigation of this theme, whose exploration of geometry and spatial perspective would change the direction of modern art. The present work exhibits Renoir’s enjoyment and appreciation for the still-life; he once told Albert André that it was in these small works that ‘he put the whole of himself, that he took every risk’. Nature Morte aux Pommes wonderfully displays how the pursuit of beauty was first and foremost Renoir’s artistic priority.