Beyond love and beauty: Renoir and modern France

Inspired by the exhibition Renoir and Love , this three-week online course offers a fresh perspective on one of Impressionism's most celebrated artists. Led by Dr Amy Mechowski, gain insight into Renoir not simply as a painter of beauty, but as an artist whose work captured a powerful image of modern France through scenes of leisure, society and everyday life. Renoir's luminous paintings are filled with moments of pleasure, intimacy and human connection. Yet beneath their radiant surfaces lies a vision of a society undergoing profound change. As Paris expanded and new forms of urban leisure emerged, cafés, theatres, dance halls and gardens became stages on which ideas of class, gender and modern identity were performed. Renoir transformed these spaces into enduring images of modern experience, inviting us to consider not only how people lived, but how they wished to be seen. Through close looking at some of Renoir's most iconic works, we'll examine the cultural world that shaped them and consider how his paintings constructed a vision of modern France. Moving beyond the familiar image of Renoir as a painter of charm and beauty, this course situates his work within the changing social landscape of late 19-century France, and offers a deeper understanding of Impressionism and Renoir's enduring legacy.