1890
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Roses in a Vase is a 1890 unspecified by Auguste Renoir, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see seven roses in a simple glass vase against a soft, dark background. Renoir painted these flowers to relax—no models, no pressure. He called roses "little round women," loving how their petals curved like skin. The colors feel warm and loose, like he dabbed them on quickly, just to enjoy the moment. If you like this, look up impasto—a technique where paint is laid on thick, so brushstrokes stand out like tiny ridges.
The palette Renoir used to depict the seven roses in this still life ranges from various shades of red to warm whites, light yellows, and pinks. The artist declared, "'Painting flowers lets my brain rest. It does not cause the same tension of spirit as when I face a model. When I paint flowers, I put down tones, I boldly try values, without having to worry about losing a canvas.'" He was particularly fond of roses, whose full, rounded shapes he likened to the female body. In 1861, Renoir met Claude Monet (1840–1926) and later shared a studio with him. Monet became an important influence on…
Renoir was an excellent singer who wanted to be a musician, but for financial reasons left school at age thirteen to work as an apprentice painter in a porcelain factory.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born on 25 February 1841 in Limoges, the son of a tailor and a seamstress.
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