Title of Artwork: “Dance in the Country”
Artwork by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Year Created 1883
Summary of Dance in the Country
Renoir’s oil work “Dance in the Country” (French: “Danse à la campagne”) dates back to 1883. Currently, it is housed in the Musée d’Orsay of Paris.
Paul Durand-Ruel, a French merchant, commissioned this painting in 1882 for his collection of paintings on the theme of the ball.
After purchasing it in 1886, he displayed it publicly for the first time in April 1883 and maintained it until Renoir’s death in 1919.
Renoir painted a companion piece entitled Dance in the City that year, expanding on the same subject matter.
All About Dance in the Country
Artist’s attempt to move away from Impressionism can be traced back to his 1881 journey to Italy, where he saw works by Raphael and other Renaissance masters for the first time.
The guy in the picture is the artist’s friend Paul Lhôte, and the woman is the artist’s future wife Aline Charigot, who is depicted in the painting dancing under a chestnut tree. The two people take up the majority of the canvas, and they are painted at life size.
In spite of this, you can make out a table off to the right in the distance, a hat lying on the floor, and two faces squatting beneath the dance floor.
The woman, who is holding a fan in her right hand and smiling broadly at the camera, appears to be addressing the audience directly.
There is a pleasant glow around the setting, and the women are dressed in vibrant hues (yellow gloves, red hat).
Information Citations:
En.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/.
