Flowers Small Boxed Cards

Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Flowers (Fleurs), c. 1885

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1841–1919), one of the most well-loved painters in the history of modern art, participated in the Impressionist exhibitions of the 1870s and early 1880s. He went on to paint for three more decades, and although he focused primarily on the bucolic landscapes of the south of France, idealized bathing groups, scenes of his family, and portraiture, he also loved painting flowers. His paintings are charming and accessible, yet often boldly experimental, with loose brushstrokes and unexpected compositional arrangements. Renoir is known above all for his mastery of color and facility in the handling of paint—qualities that during his own time won him the admiration of his peers, including Henri Matisse, and which continue to astonish us today.