Michael Wesely

Like hardly any other artist, Pierre-Auguste Renoir has shaped our understanding of the atmospheric figure paintings of Impressionism. His painting La fin du dÚjeuner, which has been in the Stõdel Museum in Frankfurt since 1910, is now the starting point for a far-reaching examination of an important source of inspiration that accompanied him throughout his life: the Rococo. Considered frivolous and immoral after the French Revolution, this style of painting experienced a renaissance in the 19th century and was widely celebrated during RenoirÆs lifetime. Published on the occasion of the Stõdel MuseumÆs major exhibition, this comprehensive volume explores RenoirÆs multifaceted connection to tradition through illuminating juxtapositions of his art with 18th-century works and contemporaries.