Nude in the Sun _{(Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Impressionism)}

Out of a riot of glittering brush strokes rises this stunning Nude in the Sun. "The most simple subjects are eternal," said Renoir. "The nude woman, whether she emerges from the waves of the sea, or from her own bed, is Venus, or Nini; and one's imagination cannot conceive anything better." The coloring and texture of the body indeed suggest rare sea-shell tints.

This painting is also one of Renoir's classic works. The artist uses colorful, free and casual brush strokes of Impressionism to portray a nude woman image under the sun. The nude is bathed in the bright sunlight. Flashing light and shadow forms rosy color blocks on her skin. The artist's passion towards life is also fully reflected in this painting, touching every viewer's heart.

In this painting, Renoir uses the color method of blue plus purple, to show the skin color under the sunlight and shadow. However, this practice was accused by the critics, who called it as "the colors of decaying corpse". But if we go outside and observe carefully, when the strong light shines on the skin, the shaded area will actually give us this cold color feeling.

Renoir's Other Works