Musée d'Orsay Presents Dual Renoir Exhibitions Focusing on Love and Drawing

The Musée d'Orsay in Paris is hosting two concurrent exhibitions dedicated to Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The main exhibition, titled 'Renoir et l'amour. La modernité heureuse (1865-1885)', explores themes of love and happiness in the artist's early and mid-career work, from 1865 to 1885. It is curated by Paul Perrin and features a thematic layout with sections such as 'Scènes de la vie de Bohème' and 'Fêtes galantes'. The show highlights Renoir's distinct approach within Impressionism, characterized by empathy and a focus on joyful subjects, setting him apart from contemporaries like Manet, Monet, Morisot, Degas, and Caillebotte. Key works on display include major loans from American collections, such as 'Le Déjeuner des canotiers' from the Phillips Collection, and 'Les Parapluies' on loan from the National Gallery in London. Other notable paintings featured are 'Bal du Moulin de la Galette', 'La Loge', and 'Le Pont des Arts'. The exhibition also examines Renoir's portrayal of women and urban life in Paris, as noted by catalog contributor Chiara Di Stefano. A parallel exhibition, 'Renoir Dessinateur', showcases the artist's drawings and works on paper, revealing his technical range from preparatory sketches to finished pieces in media like pen and pastel; this display covers a longer period, extending into the 1910s. Both exhibitions are presented as social commentaries, with curators interpreting Renoir's convivial scenes as responses to class and gender tensions of his era, drawing a parallel to a previous Gustave Caillebotte exhibition at the museum. 'Renoir et l'amour' runs from March 17 to July 19, 2026, while 'Renoir Dessinateur' is on view from March 17 to July 5, 2026.