ARTES

Eternamente cautivadoras, las pinturas de Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) son la encarnación de la felicidad, el amor y la belleza. Basada en el libro de gran formato —la retrospectiva más completa de su obra publicada hasta la fecha—, esta edición compacta examina en detalle la historia personal del pintor y las motivaciones detrás de la leyenda. Aunque comenzó su carrera pintando paisajes en estilo impresionista, Renoir encontró su verdadera vocación en los retratos, tras lo cual abandonó por completo el impresionismo. Pese a haber sido malinterpretado con frecuencia, Renoir sigue siendo uno de los pintores más queridos de la historia, sin duda por la calidez, la ternura y la alegría de vivir que emanan sus cuadros. En este texto magistral que detalla toda la trayectoria del artista y traza su evolución estilística, Gilles Néret muestra cómo Renoir reinventó las formas de la mujer en la pintura a través de sus diosas cotidianas de generosas curvas. La última fase en la obra de Renoir, en la que regresó al simple placer de pintar el desnudo femenino a través de su serie de bañistas, fue la más innovadora y de mayor influencia estilística, e inspiraría luego a maestros como Matisse y Picasso.

While anchoring his practice in the traditions of antiquity and the Renaissance, Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) paved the way for modern sculpture. From a very early stage, he was interested in movement, the expression of the body, chance effects, and the incomplete fragment. It was these elements that gave shape, and the impression of life, to such famous works as The Kiss and The Thinker.

Bearden (1911–1988) was a prominent African American artist often described as the consummate jazz painter, known for his innovative collages that explored themes of Black American culture, history, and personal experiences. This publication reexamines Bearden’s life and work in the context of jazz, tracing the musician’s impact from the artists’ earliest oil paintings to his iconic collages. In 1981, Bearden created nineteen collages that the artist called his “Paris Blues,” or simply “Jazz,” series. Conceived as pages for an oversized book that would be a response to the Hollywood movie Paris Blues (1961)—though featuring Harlem and New Orleans along with Paris—the series has been little known until now. Here the wildly colorful illustrations are set alongside Bearden’s encounters with iconic jazz musicians, clubs, and cities. Examined for the first time in depth, the Paris Blues series makes a major statement on the relationships between visual art, jazz music, and urban spaces. The book also includes poignant photographs of Bearden and musicians in the 1950s–70s, such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.