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L'église de Varengeville et les falaises by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Renoir captures the monumental cliffs and atmosphere of Normandy in this exceptional landscape
- The historic Church of Saint-Valery provides a striking focal point amid the sweeping coastline
- The work dates to Renoir's important visits to the Normandy estate of his patron Paul-Antoine Bérard
- View the Dossier
- Get complete item description here
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Item No.
32-3450
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Description
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
1841-1919 | French
L'église de Varengeville et les falaises
signed 'Renoir' (lower right)
oil on canvas
Among the greatest masters of Impressionism, Pierre-Auguste Renoir transformed the natural world into radiant compositions of color and light. His exquisite L'église de Varengeville et les falaises, painted circa 1880, captures the sweeping beauty of the Normandy coastline during a pivotal period in his career. With its expansive horizons and remarkable sense of atmosphere,. . .
1841-1919 | French
L'église de Varengeville et les falaises
signed 'Renoir' (lower right)
oil on canvas
Among the greatest masters of Impressionism, Pierre-Auguste Renoir transformed the natural world into radiant compositions of color and light. His exquisite L'église de Varengeville et les falaises, painted circa 1880, captures the sweeping beauty of the Normandy coastline during a pivotal period in his career. With its expansive horizons and remarkable sense of atmosphere,. . .
Read More
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
1841-1919 | French
L'église de Varengeville et les falaises
signed 'Renoir' (lower right)
oil on canvas
Among the greatest masters of Impressionism, Pierre-Auguste Renoir transformed the natural world into radiant compositions of color and light. His exquisite L'église de Varengeville et les falaises, painted circa 1880, captures the sweeping beauty of the Normandy coastline during a pivotal period in his career. With its expansive horizons and remarkable sense of atmosphere, the painting exemplifies Renoir's extraordinary sensitivity to the natural world.
Monumental, grass-covered cliffs sweep across the composition, descending toward the calm, pale waters of the English Channel. Nestled among the undulating coastline, the historic Church of Saint-Valery nearly dissolves into its surroundings, distinguished by a slender steeple that rises against the open sky. The modest structure provides a striking sense of scale, emphasizing the vastness of the landscape and the dramatic cliffs beyond. Renoir's subtle tonal variations and delicate handling of paint evoke the gentle coastal light, capturing the fleeting atmosphere of a pleasant day along the Normandy shore.
The centuries-old Church of Saint-Valery in Varengeville-sur-Mer attracted generations of artists, including Claude Monet and Georges Braque, who both found inspiration in its picturesque setting. Still standing today, the historic church remains a remarkable testament to the artistic legacy of this celebrated stretch of coastline.
Beginning in 1879, Renoir spent extended periods at the Château de Wargemont, the country estate of his important patron Paul-Antoine Bérard, where he painted portraits of the Bérard family while exploring the surrounding countryside. It was here that Renoir devoted himself to capturing the shifting relationships between land, sea and sky, often employing subdued colors and thin layers of paint to convey the region's distinctive atmosphere.
Renoir's enduring legacy is reflected in the world's most prestigious museum collections, including the Musée d'Orsay, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. With his masterful rendering of light and atmosphere, Renoir’s L'église de Varengeville et les falaises captures the timeless beauty of the French coast.
Painted in 1880
Canvas: 20 1/2" high x 28" wide (52.07 x 71.12 cm)
Frame: 31" high x 38 1/2" wide x 3 1/4" deep (78.74 x 97.79 x 8.26 cm)
Provenance
Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Palais des Congrès, France, 3 March 1974
O'Hana Gallery, London
Christie's, New York, 2007
Private Collection
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Private Collection, Missouri
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature
G.-P. & M. Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, Paris, 2007, no. 156 (illustrated p. 213).
View the Dossier
Exhibited
Tokyo, Ueno Matsuzakaya, Auguste Renoir, August - October 1967, no. 6; this exhibition later travelled to Nagoya, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Osaka, Temmabashi Matsuzakaya, Shizuoka, Matsuzakaya and Fukuoka, Prefectural Culture Centre.
1841-1919 | French
L'église de Varengeville et les falaises
signed 'Renoir' (lower right)
oil on canvas
Among the greatest masters of Impressionism, Pierre-Auguste Renoir transformed the natural world into radiant compositions of color and light. His exquisite L'église de Varengeville et les falaises, painted circa 1880, captures the sweeping beauty of the Normandy coastline during a pivotal period in his career. With its expansive horizons and remarkable sense of atmosphere, the painting exemplifies Renoir's extraordinary sensitivity to the natural world.
Monumental, grass-covered cliffs sweep across the composition, descending toward the calm, pale waters of the English Channel. Nestled among the undulating coastline, the historic Church of Saint-Valery nearly dissolves into its surroundings, distinguished by a slender steeple that rises against the open sky. The modest structure provides a striking sense of scale, emphasizing the vastness of the landscape and the dramatic cliffs beyond. Renoir's subtle tonal variations and delicate handling of paint evoke the gentle coastal light, capturing the fleeting atmosphere of a pleasant day along the Normandy shore.
The centuries-old Church of Saint-Valery in Varengeville-sur-Mer attracted generations of artists, including Claude Monet and Georges Braque, who both found inspiration in its picturesque setting. Still standing today, the historic church remains a remarkable testament to the artistic legacy of this celebrated stretch of coastline.
Beginning in 1879, Renoir spent extended periods at the Château de Wargemont, the country estate of his important patron Paul-Antoine Bérard, where he painted portraits of the Bérard family while exploring the surrounding countryside. It was here that Renoir devoted himself to capturing the shifting relationships between land, sea and sky, often employing subdued colors and thin layers of paint to convey the region's distinctive atmosphere.
Renoir's enduring legacy is reflected in the world's most prestigious museum collections, including the Musée d'Orsay, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. With his masterful rendering of light and atmosphere, Renoir’s L'église de Varengeville et les falaises captures the timeless beauty of the French coast.
Painted in 1880
Canvas: 20 1/2" high x 28" wide (52.07 x 71.12 cm)
Frame: 31" high x 38 1/2" wide x 3 1/4" deep (78.74 x 97.79 x 8.26 cm)
Provenance
Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Palais des Congrès, France, 3 March 1974
O'Hana Gallery, London
Christie's, New York, 2007
Private Collection
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Private Collection, Missouri
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Literature
G.-P. & M. Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, Paris, 2007, no. 156 (illustrated p. 213).
View the Dossier
Exhibited
Tokyo, Ueno Matsuzakaya, Auguste Renoir, August - October 1967, no. 6; this exhibition later travelled to Nagoya, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Osaka, Temmabashi Matsuzakaya, Shizuoka, Matsuzakaya and Fukuoka, Prefectural Culture Centre.
Read Less
Specifications
| Maker: | Renoir, Pierre-Auguste |
| Period: | 1816-1918 |
| Origin: | France |
| Type: | Paintings |
| Style: | Impressionism |
| Depth: | 3.25 in. (8.26 cm) |
| Width: | 38.5 in. (97.79 cm) |
| Height: | 31.0 in. (78.74 cm) |
| Canvas Width: | 28.000 in. (71.12 cm) |
| Canvas Height: | 20.500 in. (52.07 cm) |
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit
125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
