Vase of Flowers - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Gift of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Memorial Collection

"Vase of Flowers" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (May 1857) Graphite on white wove paper.

Commentary

"Vase of Flowers" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (May 1857) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expr essive work. Themes to notice include prints and drawing. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Pierre-Auguste Renoir is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Pierre Auguste Renoir French, 1841–1919. The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as prints and drawing, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Graphite on white wove paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (17.3 × 10.3 cm (6 13/16 × 4 1/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include prints and drawing. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/186401

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data