Renoir Father and Son. Painting and Cinema, Exhibition, Musee dOrsay, Paris: 7 November 2018- 11 February 2019

It is a recurring trend that not only genetics run in the family but talent does too. And this was certainly the case with the Renoir family. The Renoir’s managed to construct a family dynasty of artists, as three of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s sons and one of his grandsons all pursued creative careers. Pierre-Auguste revelled in beauty and pioneered the Impressionist painting movement. His son, Jean Renoir was similarly captivated by the visual arts, and became heavily involved in film. Jean’s name has become inextricably linked with the silent era as his films ‘La Grande Illusion’ (1937) and ‘The Rules of the Game’ (1939) are critically ranked amongst the best films ever made.  

Like a lot of families, this father-son duo had a complex and complicated relationship, which only led to intriguing artistic choices and differences. The exhibition explores this paradoxical dialogue between father and son and  between painting and filming. By combining their work in a single space, you can see for yourself how their art embraced and fought each other. Jean’s questioning of Pierre’s art was the diving board that Jean sprang off to develop his own filmic personality and independence. Yet at the same time Jean spent almost 20 years lovingly and painstakingly perfecting Pierre’s biography.

The Musee d’Orsay’s 3D, multi-disciplinary exhibition constructs an immersive world out of the Renoir’s paintings, film clips, costume, posters, photos and documents for you to lose yourself in. Allow the gallery to guide you through the predominant themes, such as female sensuality, and the different places , such as the Seine, that seep into a lot of their works.

Musee d’Orsay:

Musee d’Orsay, 1 rue de la Legion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris

Opening Times:

Tuesday-Sunday, 9.30-18.00

Late-night opening Thursday until 21.45