French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born on this day in 1841 (he died in 1919.) Let's take a brief look at what's probably his most famous painting, along with a quote from someone who seems intent on combining his screen image with his passion for art:
For over thirty years I made periodic visits to Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party in a Washington museum, and stood before that magnificent masterpiece hour after hour, day after day, plotting ways to steal it.
--Edward G. Robinson
Robinson leaving the museum after a guard noticed him.
Hello Kirk, I always recommend taking bubble wrap when going to a museum. Semper paratus!
ReplyDelete--Jim
Jim, I'd be too busy popping all the little bubbles to pay much attention to the art.
DeleteWhat a wonderful quote!
ReplyDeleteRobinson was a noted art collector, Mitchell.
DeleteI don't know much about Renoir, but he has kind of a haunted expression in that photo.
ReplyDeleteIt does look like something's bothering him, doesn't it, Debra? Renoir was in his mid-30s when that picture was taken, a time when his career was coming along nicely. No was there anything bad in his personal life at the time. Chalk it up to 19th century photography, where nobody ever tells the subject to "say cheese."
DeleteIt is fortunate that the painting is still there and Robinson didn't get to nick it.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been a bad career move on his part, Andrew.
DeleteAt first I thought you were talking about you going to the museum day after day. And I wondered how your plan was coming along.
ReplyDeleteMike, you have to live in Cleveland to appreciate this, but I live on the West Side and all the museums are the East Side. One freeway after another and not worth doing on a day-to-day basis.
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