Communications Pro Blog

By Barbara L. Sherf
I was honored to have been part of a press tour of the Late Renoir exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum or Art (PMA) this past Friday.  I must agree with the late Albert C. Barnes, who assembled an exquisite collection of Pierre-Auguste Renoir paintings on display at the Barnes Foundation Museum in Merion.   Barnes felt that as Renoir aged, he mastered the use of light, color and form. Born in 1841, Renoir died on December 3, 1919, having worked on a still life of flowers earlier in the day.  According to Curator Jennifer Thompson, he handed his paintbrush and palette to his nurse, declaring “I think I am beginning to understand something about painting.”  The room full of media representatives turned unusually silent and I got goosebumps listening to that quote.  I have been thinking about that statement and the exhibit much of the weekend.

The show features 79 original works by Renoir and 14 by his admirers. Unlike his earlier works, consisting  primarily of landscapes, in the later years you will find primarily portraits and sculptures of nudes. The full-figured women bathing and dressing were refreshing in this era of ‘thin is in.’  While the exhibit was superbly curated by Thompson, the real treat awaits you at the end, where you can view old black and white silent film clips of Renoir painting, smoking, and generally looking like he was enjoying life – despite his severe arthritis.  On my way out of the gallery

Renoir "Bathers Playing with a Crab" at Philadelphia Museum of Art

I decided to treat myself to a lovely lunch at the restaurant and listened to an amazing jazz duo.  Their seafood cocktail was quite refreshing and my server, Deran, turned out to be a true Southern gentleman.  What a  lovely way to start the weekend.   If you live in or around Philadelphia, you must treat yourself to the Late Renoir exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.   For more information, go to www.philamuseum.org.
Note: A fuller article, with some interesting Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill connections, is being researched and written for The Chestnut Hill Local.  It will be posted here following publication.