Pierre Auguste Renoir

Pierre Auguste Renoir's paintings center on the human figure in portraits and leisure scenes. Work beside Monet on the Seine in 1869 encouraged lighter color and attention to outdoor light. After visiting Italy in 1881, he renewed his study of contour and earlier European figure painting. The Umbrellas preserves this changing approach, with feathery color on the right and firmer outlines on the left. Luncheon of the Boating Party combines portraiture, still life, and landscape.