Colin B. Bailey, our Katharine J. Rayner Director and curator of Renoir Drawings, offers an insightful overview of our current exhibition.
The paintings of Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) have become icons of Impressionism, yet his drawings, watercolors, and pastels remain far less known. Throughout his long career, drawing was central to Renoir’s artistic practice—even as his interests and ambitions evolved.
This exhibition explores how Renoir used paper to test ideas, plan compositions, and interpret both landscape and the human figure. Renoir Drawings reunites these rarely seen works on paper with the paintings they inspired.
Renoir Drawings is on view at the Morgan from October 17, 2025, through February 8, 2026.