The "dry" period

            n 1881, Renoir is forty years old, he finished the lunch of Boaters. For the first time he is going to be able to travel. He will go to Algeria but will be conquered  by Italy especially by Venice that he will evoke in several canvases. .

             f this journey he will come back marked by the beauty of Rafael frescos and the oils of Ingres. These two big painters are going now to influence on the manner to paint and to draw Renoir.

             rom this moment, Renoir doubts and puts back his œuvre in question. He moves away more and more impressionism, the contours of his characters become more precise. He draws shapes with more required, colors become colder.

             he transition will be progressive because Renoir is in perpetual research of an absolute pictorial art. Dice the end 1881, he writes to Durand-Ruel: " I am again in the illness of research. I am not happy and I erase, I erase again.... ".

             he evolution of the painting of Renoir is visible in several œuvreses. For example in the three big canvases achieved in 1883 to decorate the apartment of Durand-Ruel. In these three vertical panels on the theme of the dance, The rigidity of features, particularly for the masculine character, become more pronounced. In the picture " umbrellas ", the two styles of painting coast themselves. On the left, a enough "rigid " woman and on the right,  more fluid children of "impressionist " style.

             his period from 1883 to 1888 will be called "dry " period  or " ingresque ".     

             enoir became the intimate friend of Paul Bérard, diplomat and banker who had noticed him some years earlier. From 1883 to 1886 he works often to Wargemont in the property of this one. the picture of the Bérards children that it will paint in this year 1884 doesn't have anything of common with the one achieved in 1881and testifies the rigor of Renoir in this period.

                      arch 21, 1885 is an event for Renoir, the birth of his first son, Pierre. Renoir lets canvases in progress and dedicate himself to a set of drawings and canvases on the theme of the motherhood.

             e returns homage to his child's mother in a canvas titled " Aline Charigot " that he will keep until his death. In 1916, after the death of Aline, he will have a bronze " Bust of Renoir  lady", copy of this picture, executed.

                  enoir gets back to the work, he works on a big project. It will be necessary to him three year to achieve the canvas considered  as the major canvas of this dry " period ":

The big bathers

                  ears of work, years of research , as testify the numerous studies that he made.

                   nd yet the mitigated opinions are going to welcome this picture. Paul Durand Ruel doesn' t like this new style, his friends painters are reserved and regret fluidity of yesteryear and the suppleness of his impressionist feature.

                   o evolve and to evolve even such are the reason to paint of Renoir, so he will slip slowly toward the pleasure of  the "pearly " period .

                   o the seen of the immensity of his œuvre, the period said " ingresque " is very short length with, certainly, more rougher canvases but so beautiful.

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