‘Bather’ – Pierre-Auguste Renoir

A Late Renoir, painted towards the end of his life when the early Impressionist was re-reconciling himself to the Classicism of Watteau and Rubens, and “in love with flesh and paint.”  This is just one of many bathers, all of them with the same features. (Compare it to his ‘Study for Nude in Sunlight’ from twenty years previously, below, and see how much more ‘Classical’ he became.)

Which do you prefer?

A new New York exhibition of Late Renoir is just opening. Watch a slide show here of a good selection, and read here for a fair critique of his later work .