Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette

This painting, shown at the Impressionist exhibition in 1877, is doubtless Renoir's most important work of the mid 1870's. Although some of his friends appear in the picture, Renoir's main aim was to convey the vivacious and joyful atmosphere of a popular dance garden on the Butte Montmartre. The moving crowd, bathed in both natural and artificial light, is expressed using vibrant, brightly coloured brushstrokes. The somewhat blurred impression of the scene originally prompted negative reactions from contemporary critics. This portrayal of popular Parisian life with its innovative style and imposing format, a sign of Renoir's artistic ambition, is one of the masterpieces of early Impressionism.