Abstract: Renoir's Italian trip from the fall of 1881 through mid-January, 1882, has never been the subject of a specific investigation.1 Moreover, Renoir literature provides diverse and often contradictory statements about this journey. So-called witness accounts of Rivière, Vollard, Meier-Graefe, and Jean Renoir, written at least thirty years after the trip, differ significantly, but they form the basis of most later, and therefore contradictory, literature on Renoir's trip. Rewald and Perruchot believe that a desire to study the works of Raphael prompted Renoir's travels.2 If this was the fundamental reason, one wonders why the artist wrote from Venice with ridicule about his forthcoming study of the Raphaels in Rome (see Appendix B, letters 1, 2). Meier-Graefe suggests that the dominant motive was to paint Wagner's portrait.3 Yet Renoir, writing from Naples, admitted that only after resisting his brother's urging did he finally agree to paint the composer's likeness (letter 9). Kenneth Clark and Jean Renoir think that the Italian trip was a honeymoon.4 Nonetheless, contrary to the widespread assertion that Renoir was married in 1881,5 the artist's marriage license indicates that he wed Aline Charigot on April 14, 1890.6 Actually, there are indications that Renoir was alone in Italy. From Capri he wrote to Manet that he was “le seul Français” (letter 7). From Naples he complained to Deudon, “Je m'ennuie un peu loin de Montmartre et je ne continue la série des voyages que pour ne plus recommencer. Je rěve du clocher et je trouve que la plus laide Parisienne est encore mieux que la plus belle Italienne” (letter 5). These are not statements that one would expect from a man on his honeymoon.
Publication Year: 1969
Publication Date: 1969-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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