On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Impressionist movement, a selection of masterpieces traces the life and work of the two masters of 19th and 20th century art This book delves into the lives and works of two painters instrumental in shaping the Impressionist movement, Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who went on to leave an indelible mark on the artists who came after them. Each developing their own particular style - Cézanne with an emphasis on rigour and geometry, Renoir a focus on harmony and softness - the two masters were pivotal figures of their time, from the last quarter of the nineteenth century into the early twentieth, from the inception of Impressionism to its peak.
The two painters met in Paris in the 1860s and forged a lasting friendship based on mutual admiration, exploring questions about their art and cultivating shared interests in genres ranging from still life to landscape, portrait, and the nude. This book showcases masterpieces collected by art dealer Paul Guillaume, who recognized Cézanne and Renoir as pioneers of a style that was both classical and modern. After Guillaume passed away, his widow Domenica Walter continued to build the collection, which is today housed at the prestigious Musée de l'Orangerie and Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Fifty masterpieces trace the life and work of the two masters who contributed decisively to the birth of Impressionism and influenced future generations of artists
Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) and Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) assert themselves as two great masters of French painting during the last quarter of the 19th century and the very beginning of the 20th century. From the impressionist melting pot of their beginnings to the age of maturity, the two men have never ceased to trace a singular trajectory, expressing themselves in different styles, rigor and geometry for Cézanne and rounded harmony for Renoir, with nevertheless many crossing points between the two works. From the 1860s in Paris, the two men forged a lasting friendship mixed with great mutual admiration and during the 1980s and 1990s they made several stays together in the South of France: landscapes, still lifes, portraits of their entourage or even nudes up to the great late bathers constitute common fields of experimentation for the two painters. The observation of the model and nature, combined with the aspiration to release a timeless essence of their subject, allows them to embody a form of classic modernity. Cézanne Renoir presents about fifty masterpieces by the two painters from the collections of the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris (brought together by the art dealer Paul Guillaume and his wife) and the Musée d'Orsay, tracing their life and work.
