La Balançoire
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1876
Why it's great
A girl on a swing and some friends are caught in dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. Renoir painted blotches of blue shadow on the white dress, which some critics scoffed at as dirty! We now see it as a brilliant study of light. It's one of the happiest Impressionist works.
Where to see it
📍 Musée d'OrsayParis, France
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Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, France, and started his working life painting designs on porcelain. In Paris he became a founding Impressionist, famous for glowing scenes of friends, dancing, and sunshine. Later in life he lived in the warm south of France, and he kept painting even when arthritis twisted his hands, with a brush strapped to his fingers. He left thousands of cheerful paintings.
