Renoir - Revered and Reviled

Season 3 of Exhibition on Screen continues with the documentary Renoir-Revered and Reviled, based on the unrivalled and fascinating Barnes Foundation’s collection.

The Foundation, based in Philadelphia, hosts the largest Renoir collection in the world and the documentary guides the spectator through the unique opportunity of seeing artworks that are never loaned and, thus, inaccessible to most audiences.

What is interesting about the figure of Barnes is his keen interest in Renoir’s late paintings, a huge component of his legacy that is usually unknown and unexplored in the history of Art and which mainly includes portraits. Barnes saw something more in Renoir as he ventured on to collect his works and make them known to the public.

The historical reconstructions are especially helpful in recovering Renoir’s works’ meaning and context. In fact, the anecdotes about Renoir’s life and career are perfectly inserted into the film’s body as the various curators, critics and artists discuss how the Impressionists used to meet at the Louvre which they recognised as their only school.

Renoir was also widely criticized for his habit of painting real naked women and, later, to turn their figures into excessive and grotesque representations. One of the main critiques concerns the apparent lack of any psychological dimension to the women in his portraits.

By opening the various debates and ambiguities around his figure, the documentary succeeds in giving a well-rounded portrait of Renoir, his stylistic changes and his exploration of domesticity and family in portraits that are as remarkable as unknown to the general public.

Arguably, the most interesting and investigative part of the documentary is when the camera follows the Foundation’s visitors to register their opinions and reactions to the paintings.

Renoir- Revered and Reviled is an unmissable occasion for any art lover. And if there is one thing the film clearly shows is that none of the visitors looked at his paintings without smiling.

Renoir - Revered and Reviled is released in UK cinemas from 16th February. Find your nearest screening at www.exhibitiononscreen.com.