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Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Painting the Joys of Life

Virtual Program

Renoir's joie de vivre made him a beloved Impressionist painters, though he harbored a dark side. This talk will examine paintings through his long and productive life, with all its contradictions.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir's philosophy can be summed up in this quote: "A picture must be an amiable thing, joyous and pretty-- yes, pretty!  There are enough troublesome things in life without inventing others." 

Renoir's joie de vivre made him one of the most beloved Impressionist painters, although he harbored a dark side to his veneer of amiability. This talk will examine his long and productive life with all its contradictions and survey his voluptuous nudes, luxurious flowers, pretty children, bustling Parisian streets, and sunny outdoor scenes that are full of people and fun.

About the Presenter: Janet Mandel taught in New Jersey’s public schools for 32 years, the last eighteen of which were at Columbia High School in Maplewood, where she taught English, art history, and World Languages and Cultures. In October of 2003 she was named runner-up for the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) Teacher of the Year award and was formally recognized by the New Jersey State Legislature and Governor Codey for this achievement. In May of 2004 she was the recipient of the “Innovations in Special Education Award” from the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) and the Association of Schools and Agencies for the Handicapped (ASAH). Now retired, Janet presents illustrated talks on a variety of art history topics at adult schools, libraries, museums, senior centers, community centers, and similar venues.

This presentation and all Roxbury Library programs are made possible by the Friends of the Roxbury Public Library.  It will be hosted by the Kemmerer Library.

Register online or by calling the library at (973) 584-2400 and the link will be sent to you the day of the program.