I've had a print of "the luncheon of the boating party" by renoir since i was 16 years old. i bought it for five dollars at walmart... this print came framed and travelled with me to college, to my first apartment, to italy, and back to kansas. today, i broke to glass on the frame whilst lifting an unwieldy box of china. i laughed until i cried.
it's not that renoir is my favorite of all artists... i prefer chagall, or van gogh or matisse... but anywho. the thing is, it was my first "art". it had a frame, and it was a print of a painting, and it wasn't a poster of jonathan brandis! the other cool thing is, that painting is in one of my favoritest films - amelie. there are all sorts of little connections to it now, things i've noticed or thought about... i can see it sitting on top of my desk at school, and on the floor in the jack's creek house... and unpacking it in italy. it's signifigance grew over time, as i understood it better. i didn't really know that much about what i liked at when i bought it, or what made a good painting, but i fell in love with that print... it was "my" renoir. i knew the name, i knew that painting, which caused me to go find more of his paintings...and in the process, i fell in love with all sorts of other artwork.
the print itself is still good... but the magic is kinda gone. maybe it's time for me to buy a real painting now.
oh wait, i'm a broke student. i think i'll just visit a gallery, and find more paintings to love. ;)
1 comment:
It's one of my favorites, too. I have note cards and an umbrella of it.....and a calendar..... You can find another print of it somewhere. There is also the bargain book at Borders of the "Big Little Art Book" with all kinds of wonderful impressionist art. You have excellent taste! Hope you can find another print that will mean as much to you. Happy New Year!!
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