The Swing (French: La Balançoire) is an oil-on-canvas painting made in the summer of 1876 by the French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who was a leading exponent of the Impressionist style. The painting depicts model Jeanne Samary, Norbert Goeneutte, and Renoir’s brother Edmond. In this painting, Renoir incorporates eighteenth-century techniques while depicting a modern topic. The Swing has been compared to the works of other great artists including Monet and Watteau, and it has elicited a range of responses from critics. The painting is exhibited in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Renoir executed the painting in what are now the Musée de Montmartre gardens. He had rented a cottage in the gardens so that he could be closer to the Moulin de la Galette where he was simultaneously engaged in painting his 1896 Bal du moulin de la Galette. Both paintings were presented at the third Impressionist group exhibition in 1877. [1] The painting was acquired in 1877 shortly after the exhibition by Gustave Caillebotte and later moved to the Musée d'Orsay.[2]
| La Balançoire | |
|---|---|
| English: The Swing | |
 | |
| Artist | Pierre-Auguste Renoir |
| Year | 1876 |
| Medium | Oil-on-canvas |
| Dimensions | 92 cm × 73 cm (36.2 in × 28.7 in) |
| Location | Musée d'Orsay, Paris |
Description
editThis scene depicts Edmond Renoir, Auguste Renoir's brother; Norbert Goeneutte; and Jeanne Samary, a young working woman from Montmartre and a favorite model of Renoir’s who appears in many of his other works. [3][4] Seemingly lost in thought, Jeanne stands on a swing hanging from a tree on the left side of the composition while Norbert and Edmond try to capture her attention. Jeanne listens passively to the man in front of her while a young neighborhood girl in her everyday dress gazes up at the pleasant interaction.[2] Renoir noted to his friend Georges Rivière that the girl had been watching him while he worked. Unbeknownst to the girl, Renoir included her in his final painting.[5]
In the distance behind Jeanne, a small group of people stand chatting. The forest floor under their feet is flecked with pink, white, and lavender-colored blossoms. The quivering light is rendered by the patches of pale color, particularly on the clothing and the ground. The painting is set in the Montmartre gardens, where many artists would come to paint under the natural light. It served as a sort of oasis, insulated from the bustling city around it. This setting was perfect for capturing the peaceful and intimate scene.[6]
The clothing depicted in the painted reflected typical casual outfits of the time. Jeanne’s dress, central to the painting, reflects the “close-fitting line” princess style. Made of white muslin, it closely follows the form shaped by a cuirass corset. The dress is decorated with a row of blue bows down the front, matching the color of the petticoat seen beneath the lifted hem. In similar fashion, the two mens’ outfits were informal, reflecting the style of the working class at that time. The casual dress in this painting adds to the relaxed, leisurely, and intimate atmosphere of the garden scene. [1]
Technique
editRenoir started out as a porcelain painter, incorporating the delicacy and elegance of eighteenth-century art into his work. He continued on with this style as he rose to fame as a painter. Renoir admired the eighteenth-century depiction of society as idyllic and carefree, and he adopted its light and airy color palette. This palette departed from the stark light-dark contrast of earlier styles, instead favoring small brushstrokes that separated colors, placing emphasis on air, light, and movement.[6]
In The Swing, Renoir’s loose, short brushstrokes create the effect of sunlight filtering through leaves, capturing a sense of warmth and movement. This technique directs the viewer’s attention to the play of light and shadow, emphasizing the lively, atmospheric quality of the scene rather than precise forms. His brushwork appears to transform the scene into a blend of loose strokes and colored dots. It was these dots, in particular, that sparked outrage among art critics, as they were reminded of splattered grease.[1]
Influences
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Renoir greatly admired the works of Watteau, Boucher, and Fragonard, and their influence is observable in many of his works.[6] This painting is especially evocative of fête galante style characteristics of the eighteenth-century Rococo period.[1] The idyllic park landscape, leisurely and flirtatious scene, soft color palette, and wistful atmosphere in The Swing are all reminiscent of earlier fête galante paintings by artists like Antoine Watteau. Renoir’s friend Georges Rivière explicitly commented on the similarities between The Swing and Watteau’s works, which were displayed in the third Impressionist exhibition. One specific work of Watteau’s that Renoir likely viewed in an 1860 exhibition, Harlequin and Columbine, may have inspired the fête galante aspects of Renoir's painting.[7]
Renoir’s artwork was also influenced by the writings and censorship of the time. One particular French writer, Eugène Fromentin, condemned the French genre artists’ traditional emphasis on a clear subject. Paintings without clear subjects were not considered seriously, and he favored the seventeenth-century Dutch genre painting, which didn’t place such great importance on depicting a clear subject. Impressionists like Renoir likely came across Fromentin’s writings, as they were published in Louis Edmond Duranty’s pamphlet La Nouvelle Peinture around the time of their second group exhibition. Presumably in response, Renoir gradually stripped his genre scenes of clear narrative elements. He gave his canvases vague titles, often just describing just the scene in the most general terms.[7] The content of his art is similarly ambiguous. In The Swing, there is no indication of reason for the woman's gesture or to her relationship to the two men. Renoir further complicates the potential narrative with the inclusion of the child.[5] Furthermore, Renoir created The Swing in a time of social control. Clear interpretation and classification made it easier for authorities to censor any art that violated their strict behavior codes. By avoiding clear narratives in favor of ambiguity, Renoir protected his work from surveillance and possible suppression.[7]
Commentary and criticism
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The Swing is often compared to other works, particularly for its thematic and stylistic connections to both contemporary times and historical art. It is often compared with the work of James Tissot. However, upon closer inspection, the artists’ respective fashion choices set them apart. Tissot usually depicted high-end fashion typical, whereas Renoir was partial to working-class dress as seen in The Swing.[1] This focus on everyday people reflects Renoir’s unique perspective. Additionally, his admiration for eighteenth-century art aligns him with Monet, whose paintings similarly continued the traditions of the fête galante. Georges Rivière even compared The Swing to Watteau’s The Embarkation for Cythera, praising its charm and serenity while noting its distinctly nineteenth-century qualities. This connection reflects Renoir’s ability to take inspiration from the past while incorporating modern themes.[6] The leisurely air of The Swing was also compared to another of Renoir’s paintings, Dance at the Moulin de la Galette.[2]
Critics’ reactions to The Swing were mixed, ranging from admiration to harsh disapproval. Some praised its idyllic charm, with Georges Rivière contrasting the peaceful scene with the chaotic Dance at the Moulin de la Galette. He praised Renoir’s serene depiction of young people enjoying life in a sunlit garden, removed from the concerns of the world.[6] However, others were less kind. When it was shown at the 1877 exhibition, one critic dismissed the light effects as resembling grease stains. Another criticized Renoir’s blue as violent and took offense to it.[2]
See also
edit- List of paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- The Swing, a painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (c. 1767)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Groom, Gloria, ed. (2012). "Chapter 5: Fashion en Plein Aire". Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago.
- ^ a b c d Renoir : Hayward Gallery, London, 30 January-21 April 1985, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, 14 May-2 September 1985, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 9 October 1985-5 January 1986. London: Arts Council of Great Britain. 1985. p. 210.
- ^ Sotheby's sale catalogue Au Moulin de la Galette, New York, 17 May 1990.
- ^ "La balançoire". Musée d'Orsay.
- ^ a b House, John (February 26, 1998). Pierre-Auguste Renoir: La Promenade (1st ed.). Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum.
- ^ a b c d e Herbert, Robert L. (September 1988). "Chapter 5: Parks, Racetracks, and Gardens". Impressionism: Art, Leisure, and Parisian Society. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- ^ a b c Inspiring Impressionism: the Impressionists and the Art of the Past. Denver: Denver Art Museum. November 5, 2007. pp. 211–212.