Dance at Bougival

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841 - 1919) Dance at Bougival 1883, Oil on canvas,181.8 x 98.1cm,Museum of Fine Arts (Boston)

The artist of this painting was born on February 25, 1841 in Limoges France. Interestingly, he got involved in the arts when he found out that he was a good singer but thought that music was not for him. At 13 he became an apprrentice for a porcelin painter and that is what he did for the next 5 years. He was fired from the porcelin factory wehn machines were brought in to do his job. Eventually he joined an art school and started his career as a painter once he had graduated. Throughout his 60 years as an active painter, Renoir created about 6,000 paintings. This piece of artwork is an example of impressionalism and almost even seems to come alive. It is as if these two serene dancers were to jump off the canvas and continue their waltz. Renior was one of the leaders in the Impressionalism movement and I think that this peice shows it. He has also made a few other paintings of people dancing in different settings.

The idea being expressed behind this painting is simple, fun and romance. You can see this by noticing the way the man is lovingly looking at the woman and by the way that they are both merrily dancing. The jig that they are doing adds an element of fun to the painting that makes you want to join in and dance along. Even the people smiling and talking in the back ground seem to be having a jolly good time. I mish that I could skip right into the painting? Wait a second... why wasn't I invited to the party?!