Versailles

Renouncing the informal approach of Impressionist painters during his later career, Renoir returned to more traditionally inspired motifs. This autumn landscape shows a view of the courtyard on the north side of the chateau of Versailles. Chestnut trees line the allee and are painted softly with detached brushwork in vibrant colors of the season. Sculpture is prominently featured in this painting, and indeed Renoir's interest in sculpture becomes apparent as he later visits the medium for the first time. In his last years, he sculpts several monumental figures with the help of Richard Guino, the assistant to the established French sculptor, Aristide Maillol.